Scarlet Wind
by Shadowonthewall6
Summary: Luffy becomes the superhero known as the 'scarlet wind'. With new super villians, old friends and brand new rubber powers, Luffy must learn to balance his school life, his free time and his new superhero identity if he is to become a true hero...
1. Prologue

Alright, since this story idea won the poll I put up, I've decided to finally put this up for you to enjoy…

_**Though just like the one-shot that this is based off of, I'm not completely sure about this story, which is why I need feedback.**_

_**So please review and tell me what you like/don't like about this story, so I can improve it and make it better for you all to enjoy.**_

_**WARNING: As noted by many people who reviewed the one-shot this is based on, Luffy is EXTREMELY OOC towards Hancock...why? Because I can't stand her and god damn it, all of the episodes of One Piece I had to re-watch to write 'Search The Wind', I hate her more than ever…**_

**On the same subject, does anyone think it's weird that I have two stories now with the word 'Wind' in them (shrugs)**

**Anyway, this story is dedicated to the awesome Foxchika17, who helped me learn how to make a new story.**

**Shadowonthewall6: 1 **

**Fanfiction error 2-0 ****:D**

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_**Prologue**_

_Nami's p.o.v_

"Alright everyone, please get out your 'Jekell and Hyde' books and we'll begin" I sigh as I dig into my bag. English. It's one of the most boring things in the world. Why couldn't we be in drama or art or something? I've always liked art. Can't we have that today instead of tomorrow? Luckily, Mr. Falcon makes English at least bearable. He's an old friend of Vivi's father so he's also a nice guy as well. He even lets Vivi call him by his first name 'Pell'. Not to sound like the guy's strict, but even though I know his name, I wouldn't dare call him that out loud. Opening up my copy of 'Jekell and Hyde', I look up at Pell, who's standing at the front of the class, near the white board.

"Okay" Pell says with a smile "Today, since I'm presuming you've all finished the book as I set it for homework, we'll be seeing what themes 'Jekell and Hyde' has. Does anyone know of a main theme about the book?" To no-one's surprise, Robin puts her hand straight up. Pell smiles happily and points at her.

"Yes, you Miss Nico?"

"The theme of the public face and the private face" Robin answers with a relaxed grin. Pell nods.

"Correct. During the Victorian era, this theme was prominent among many of the people. For example, people acted one way in public but were completely different in the safety of their own homes. After all…"

_Everyone has secrets…_

_?'s p.o.v_

"Come on, hurry up idiot"

"We're gonna be spotted, we're gonna be spotted"

"Be quiet you flashy fool. This is the score of the century and I'd rather not lose it to that Scarlet bastard"

"Okay then…where the hell is our getaway?"

"Flashy moron, Mohji and Cabaji are in the slammer, so the only way we're gonna escape is by running for our flashy lives"

"But what if someone spots us?"

"Don't worry; no-one knows we're here"

And I believe that's my cue. Leaping down from a nearby rooftop, I land before the two crooks in the alley way. The two gasp and jump back away from me as I make contact with the ground. Good to know I've made an impression with someone doing these little heroic antics.

"Hi, I'm No-one. Have we met?" I ask coolly with a wide grin. Of course, the two step backwards, their mouths hanging open.

"THE SCARLET WIND!" the timid one yells, shaking and shuddering back down the alley. The other thief growls and removed a revolver from his pocket.

"EAT LEAD YOU FLASHY FOOL!" he yells, firing the gun wildly at me. Sighing, I side-step the barrage of bullets and listen for the hopeful 'click' of his gun being empty. The revolver didn't fail to disappoint.

"You still at this Baggy? Aren't you a little old to still be doing this stuff?" I ask with another sly grin. 'Baggy', of course, glares angrily at me.

"IT'S BUGGY! NOT BAGGY YOU FLASHY BASTARD" he yells in reply. I ignore Buggy and quickly, my attention focuses on the timid man behind Buggy, who's trying to sneak away from the confrontation.

"And Galdino? I thought you went the old straight and narrow. You really shouldn't be hanging around with the likes of this idiot" I shout towards the frightened man. Galdino, of course, jumps and tried to make a break for it. Why do they always run? Effortlessly, I reach my arm forward and it almost magically stretches past Buggy and grabs hold of the fleeing Galdino's shoulder. Buggy takes his chance and quickly starts reloading his pistol. Noticing him doing that, I pull my arm backwards with a flick of my shoulder. My arm retracts and Galdino soars backwards like a flash of lightning, hitting Buggy in the back. The two fall on the floor, pretty much knocked out from such a dizzying attack. Nice to know, I'm getting good at this stretching thing. Its weird but ever since I started doing this hero stuff, I feel as though I'm learning to control my elastic powers better. I scoop up the unconscious forms of the two thieves' in both arms and then, with a big of pressure applied to my elastic legs, I shoot off like a spring and landed on a nearby rooftop. I think I'll drop these two off at the police station; I need to head back to school. I'm already running late and these guys haven't made it easier creating a diversion. For a second, I actually drop Buggy on the floor and pull out a small book from the bag on my back. Pell's gonna be pissed that I'm late…again, especially when he learns I haven't finished this book. Where was I again in this thing? There it is

"_I thus drew steadily nearer to the truth, by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck…"_

_Nami's pov_

"_This man is not truly one but truly two"_

Pell finishes reading, clearing his throat afterwards.

"Now, can anyone tell me…" he begins but is interrupted by the door bursting open. I look over, already knowing who I'm going to see. Standing in the doorway is none other than a raven haired boy wearing a school uniform with the tie left untied around his neck. He pants like crazy in the doorway and slowly stumbles into the room. Pell sighs and clamps the book shut.

"Monkey D. Luffy. Late again I see…what a surprise" he says with a depressing look towards the man in the door. Luffy chuckles and rubs the back of his head.

"Sorry Pell" In response to Luffy's call, Pell growls and points to his seat next to me.

"Get in your seat Luffy! I'll see YOU after class!" he shouts. Luffy replies with a mock salute and then walks over to his seat. He's such an idiot sometimes…well all the time really, but, he's a good natured idiot at least. I can't help but shake my head as he drops down into the seat next to me.

"Are you ever going to be early for class?" I ask. Luffy replies with just a confident grin and then, he looks over to the board. Pell's standing there, a sad look on his face as he focuses on Luffy.

"So, seeing as you're late Luffy, you must seem to know everything my lesson has to teach you, therefore, you should be able to tell me what Mr. Hyde represents in the book?" he asks, his eyes focused on the young raven haired boy. Luffy's eyes widen at this question and silence enters the room. Everyone looks towards Luffy with interest, probably wondering how the idiot is going to get out of this one. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see one watcher, a raven haired girl with piercing blue eyes, mouthing the sentence 'I'll tell you if you go out with me' at Luffy. My god, I really want to slap that cocky smirk off her face. Thankfully, Luffy isn't looking at her and instead, he's drumming his fingers on the table with his gaze focused on the ceiling.

"Er…" he starts "…is it that…Hyde represents the darker side of people?" Pell's sad expression turns into a small smile as he nods.

"Lucky guess Luffy" he mutters under his breath before continuing on "That is correct. It is possible that Hyde represents the darker side of the human brain. Nice work Luffy…now if you'd just be on time for class once in a while, you'd be a pretty good student" The class starts to chuckle at this and, not so surprisingly, Luffy joins in with his comical laugh of 'shi-shi-shi'. At that moment, the bell rings loudly and Pell sighs.

"Alright then, I'd like to complete page 57 of your Jekyll and Hyde question books for the next lesson" he announces. Not so surprisingly, he's all but ignored by everyone in the room as the students rush to pack up their bags. As I pick up my bag from the floor and plop it on my desk to fill it with my English supplies, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"I might be a while. Will you wait for me?" Luffy asks. I smile softly at his request as I shove my copy of Jekyll and Hyde into my bag.

"I'll think about it" I reply, hauling my bag over one shoulder. I will wait for him though, like I always do. As I follow the crowds of pupils exiting the room, I turn back to Luffy and mouth 'Good Luck' to him before I leave the room.

After leaving the class room, I stand to the side and let everyone else walk past. The corridor soon becomes full to the brim with students heading to lunch. Quickly though, it dies down until it's only me standing in the corridor waiting for Luffy…

Or so I thought…

"Hey rotten tangerine" Hearing the sickeningly sweet voice, I turn around to see none other than Hancock standing on the opposite side of the corridor. Her shirt's wide open, almost allowing her cleavage to leap out and her skirt is so short, I'm pretty sure she'd flash someone if she bent over to pick something up. God, she was such a slut.

"Hey Hancock" I reply calmly, ignoring the glare she's giving me "Shouldn't you be stealing candy from a baby or something right now?" Hancock laughed at this retort, glaring at me some more.

"Oh, we're rather witty today, aren't we? What are you doing here anyway?"

"I could ask you the same question" I reply, my eyes narrowing at her as she chuckles once more.

"Why waiting for my beloved Luffy of course" she responds with a flick of her hair "You do know that you can't steal him away from me, right?"

"Okay, first off: I don't love Luffy, he's my friend and second, he's not YOURS!" I growl angrily, feeling my cheeks turn pink. Why did that happen whenever I talked about Luffy and me? Hancock laughs at me and then continues her glare.

"Think what you want foolish girl, but I will always win! I can do whatever I want and I shall always be forgiven and loved by all. I can kick a puppy, I can bully anyone and I can even put you in your place and the world will still forgive me…for i…am…BEAUTIFUL!" Hancock yells angrily, adopting a really strange pose where she's leaning really far back with her head and pointing at me. I sigh.

"Go ahead; keep talking Hancock" I say with a smile "One day, you might say something intelligent"

_Luffy p.o.v_

I should have known this was coming. It makes me feel bad to always see Pell like this. As soon as everyone's outside, he shuts the door and locks it. My guess is he doesn't want anyone listening in on our conversation. Sighing, he walks over to my table. He grabs the chair that usually belongs to Usopp and he turns it round, so he can sit on it and look me in the eye. After he sits down, I can't help but to start feeling disappointed in myself. At first, Pell looks at the floor, then he looks up at the ceiling and then, finally, he reluctantly looks towards me.

"I'm sorry" the words leave my mouth almost automatically but Pell shakes his head.

"Are you Luffy? Because by the look of things you're not!" he says angrily "You're always late for class, you never hand in homework and if it weren't for what I've seen you do in class, I might have just given up on you a long time ago" I was silent for a moment under Pell's angry gaze.

"I've…just been through a lot recently…" I admit, my eyes darting down to the desk. Pell nods in understanding.

"I know Luffy…I know what happened to Sabo and I am sorry for your loss…but that was six months ago, you can't use that as an excuse for everything…" Pell reasons with a mournful expression.

"I'm not using it as an excuse" I reply angrily, gritting my teeth. Sabo's passing was still a tender subject for me and Pell's words were already cutting deep as it was "I've just…I've just been really busy recently" Pell sighs at my response and takes a deep breathe.

"Luffy…Makino's been really worried about you recently. You've been really falling behind with your work and she's scared that there's something wrong with you…" he mutters sadly.

"Trust me" I interrupt with a smile "I'm fine! Makino's just been all worked up recently" At my response, Pell sighs and stands up.

"You're free to go Luffy" he says his eyes glancing towards the window "but remember if you need any help, I'll be here for you and so will your friends…" I smile and stand up myself.

"Don't worry Pell, I'm good" I say, running towards the door. As I grip the handle, I feel Pell grab my shoulder.

"Luffy…you can't do everything alone, you're not some kind of superhero" I held in the laughter that was bubbling up inside me and smiled back at him.

"Pell…I'm fine and I'll try to be on time more" I say in return. Pell releases my shoulder and he smiles at me.

"Okay Luffy…better hurry, you won't want to keep Nami waiting" he says as he walks back over to his desk. I nod one last time and open the door.

Not some kind of superhero? Oh irony, how I love thee

As I walk out onto the corridor, I can hear the voices floating through the air.

"Look here you little whore…"

"Who're you calling a whore, Skank?"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A SKANK, WHORE?"

I sigh loudly, realising that Nami and Hancock were both standing on either side of the corridor, shouting loudly at each other.

"You're in the dog house now Luffy" I heard Pell call from the class room. I shake my head and walk over to the two arguing girls.

"Hey Nami" I say happily, grabbing her arm in mine "Let's get going to lunch!" Quickly, I start to drag a bewildered Nami along the corridor until…SHE jumps in front of me.

"Luffy, would you…"

"No" I answer, walking around Hancock and once more pulling Nami with me. Undeterred by my denial, Hancock follows us down the corridor.

"But…"

"No"

"I can…"

"No"

"Luffy…"

"Do I have to say it again?" I half yell turning to look at Hancock "No, I'm not going out with you" And with that, I quickly increase my speed, dragging Nami along with me out of the corridor and down the stairs. It's weird but as we run, I start to notice Nami getting a bit of heatstroke on her cheeks. I hope Nami's not getting sick or anything. As I sprint down the stairs, I can hear Hancock yelling after me.

"One day my beloved, you'll see that I'm the only one for you!" I shudder at her shouting. That girl scares me sometimes.

"Come on, let's go meet the guys" I suggest to Nami, who looks like she's finally just realised what just happened. She nods and I smile as we both run towards the lunch room. I can hear Nami's voice talking to me…but I'm not listening. I'm thinking about what Pell said about me…

Though I suppose all these thoughts don't really make any sense if I don't tell you about me…

You see, my name is Monkey D. Luffy.

I've just turned Seventeen and I live in Dawn city, where I attend Dawn high.

I've got a pretty nice family. There's my dad, Shanks, my mum, Makino, and my big brother, Ace.

I've got some good friends too. There's Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Vivi, Robin, Kaya…oh yeah, and Nami.

If there'd be one word that'd describe me…it'd be…

Late.

I'm always late nowadays…but I DO have a reason why that is.

You see…I have a secret…

A big secret…

I…am…a superhero…

No, I'm not kidding! Stop laughing!

It's been three months. Three brilliant and awesome months since I started. Now, it's everywhere. Everywhere I look, I can see the newspapers, hear the gossip and see the blurred out pictures. I remember seeing it on the front of a magazine stand. There was a large poster documenting exactly what was on everyone's mind. A young man was perching on top of a street lamp, grinning happily. A figure eight mask covered his eyes from sight and a straw-hat was resting on his head, shielding his black locks. He was wearing black and red spandex from head to toe with a short red cloak lined with black descending from his back.

'Who is the Scarlet Wind?' the title read. It was the one question that everyone was wondering. Approximately twelve weeks ago, a mysterious vigilante appeared out of nowhere and began fighting crime, going under the title of 'Scarlet Wind'. He's captured and jailed more criminals in his time active than the police have got in a year. Crime rates are falling and the only thing people can ask is 'who is this brave hero?' Well no-one in this city knows…well almost no-one...

I know who he is…

And I know because I, Monkey D. Luffy, am the Scarlet Wind…

I don't know when it started but one day; I literally just woke up one day with super powers. I think I'm probably a mutant or something like that (which is weird, because no-one in my family has any super-powers or anything like that). After that, I knew what I wanted to do. You see, a few weeks before I got my powers…my brother died…

His name was Sabo and he was a cop. He got killed whilst he was trying to save someone in a drive-by shooting…

That someone…was me…

He took a bullet for me and unfortunately, he lost his life because of it. It took at least a fortnight to get over it…but in the end, I respected the fact that my brother had died doing what he loved.

Did I want revenge?

Not really…well at first, yeah

But Sabo wasn't the kind of guy to hold a grudge and it wasn't right to hold one anyway.

Plus, the first person I went after was the guy who shot my brother…

I remembered the face of that murderer. I found him, I caught him and…

I just couldn't do it…

I took him to the police and left him to face his sentence.

At first, I thought I was weak for not having enough guts to do what should have been done…

But then, I finally realised why I couldn't do it.

Sabo never, in all the time he was a cop, took someone's life.

And so, from that day on, I decided to honour his wishes and to never kill someone…no matter how much harm they had done to me.

I wanted to be a symbol of hope for everyone. I wanted to be the one who could help them no matter what…

I wanted to be a hero…and now, hopefully, I am one.

I am the Scarlet Wind, the defender of Dawn city, protector of the innocent and symbol of justice…

And I always will be…

_(3__rd__ person p.o.v)_

_**Elsewhere…**_

"Mr Zero, I've brought him for you"

"Excellent work Spandam…You are our most skilled operative in the field…so it is most likely that you are aware of the latest…problem to our operation"

The large TV screen flared to life as the video began to play. On the screen was a man wearing a domino mask around his eyes and a straw-hat on his head. The video continued to play, showing a variety of clips of the person fighting off groups of thugs.

"They call him the Scarlet Wind" Mr Zero muttered calmly "With your help; I'd like to be able to call him 'deceased'"

"You see" Spandam said, his eyes flaring with malice "that little rubber bastard has been making short work of my boys down there…which is why we've brought you in. Our top scientist, Vegapunk, believes he can replicate similar abilities to that of our elastic enemy"

"You'll be stronger and faster than ever before" Mr Zero continued his smile widening with every word he spoke "so, what do you say…"

"Mr Lucci?"

In response, the man in question stepped forwards, revealing his long black mullet and his short beard. He wore a neat black suit with a white tie wrapped around his neck. His large hat overshadowed his eyes, yet his bright smile was still evident. The bird perched on his shoulder teetered from side to side happily as Rob Lucci spoke.

"Consider this little problem of yours…over…"

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_**To be continued in Chapter 1: Predators Act I**_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and will continue to enjoy the chapters to come in the future.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	2. Chapter 1: Predators Act 1

_**As I promised a lot of people, here's the next chapter of Scarlet Wind. As you can probably tell by reading this, I'm planning on updating Scarlet Wind a lot more frequently than other stories (except One Piece one-shots) because**_

_**1: I'm splitting the chapters into short parts (such as why this is only Act 1 of 4)**_

_**2: Search The Wind takes a lot of time watching One Piece episodes and writing a really, really long chapter each time I decide to work on it**_

_**3: I'm really stuck on writing Do you believe in magic so I might postpone it for a while until I can get out of this writer's block I'm having with it.**_

_**And 4: A lot of this chapter had already been written before I uploaded the prologue**_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**_

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_**Chapter 1: Predators Act 1**_

"Luffy, wake up" I moan and shuffle around in my bed

"Luffy, c'mon get up" I grunt a "no" and slump back into my pillow. I hear a loud sigh and the sound of retreating footsteps. Finally, my plan's worked.

"Luffy…Ace is eating your pancakes…" I shoot up like a rocket and run out of the door, promptly trying to shove Makino out of the way.

"Luffy…" she says with as a laugh as I manage to get around her. I quickly bound down the steps and slide into the kitchen, glaring at the black haired man with freckles at the table. Ace looks up at me and gives me a sly smile. He's eating waffles. My pancakes remain untouched to the side.

"Darn Makino" I mutter, knowing how much she hates swearing in the house. Ace just laughs at me and after swallowing the mouthful of waffles he's eating, he comments.

"Nice boxers" Nervously, I look down to reveal that I'm standing in the kitchen in nothing but my underwear.

Oh, Makino, how I hate you on a Monday morning.

I grunt angrily and run backup stairs. A few minutes later, I'm back down again in my school uniform. I'm wearing a white shirt and black trousers with school shoes on my feet that were neatly polished the night before. I slide once more into the kitchen and take a seat at the table. I take a large bite out of one of my pancakes and then I look up at Ace. The black haired man was watching me with a cocky smirk on his face. Looking down, I notice he's in a dark blue shirt with jeans.

"Shouldn't you be in work by now?" I ask with a mouthful of food

"Shouldn't you be in school by now?" he replies confidently.

"Shouldn't you answer my question first?" I retort

"Shouldn't you stop talking whilst eating?" Reluctantly, I accept defeat and swallow the large amount of food in my mouth. After I've done that, Ace stretches out on the chair

"It's my day off" he explained "I'm going on a date with Nojiko today and Marco's covering for me"

"You know, Old man Newgate is gonna be mad when you're not at the station today" I say with a knowing grin. I've only met Ace's boss once. What I learned from that encounter was that not only did Newgate once used to be a fire-fighter himself but he was now the fire chief of the local station and he didn't like anyone taking time off that wasn't needed. Ace, however, didn't seem bothered by this comment.

"You know, Mr. Beckman is gonna be mad when you're not at his lesson today" Ace replied calmly.

"I've still got time" I say in response "What is the time by the way?" Ace gestures towards the clock. It's ten minutes past eight. I'm so glad I'm not drinking anything as if I was, it would now be sprayed all over Ace's shirt.

"NO! I'M LATE FOR MEETING UP WITH USOPP" I yell almost leaping out of my chair. Ace gave me an odd look.

"Why are you meeting up with Usopp today?" he asks quite confused.

"He's done his science homework and I NEED to copy it before I get to class" I explained, quickly grabbing my bag off the counter.

"Don't you usually copy Nami's homework? Why aren't you walking with her?" Ace asked with a knowing grin. What was it with him? He looked like he knew something I didn't.

"Nami was over at Nojiko's last night because her mum had a 'big date' with her new boyfriend, so I organised to meet up with Usopp so I can copy off him instead" I explained once more.

"LUFFY! What's this I hear about you copying your homework off of other people?" I quickly stood up and dashed out of the door, hearing Makino's yell.

"See ya later Makino" I yell up the stairs, sprinting out of the door. Quickly, I start to dash down the street. It was at least twenty minutes to the bus stop where I promised to meet Usopp. Let's see if I can break that record…

I feel tired as hell by the time I get to our meeting place. I stop beside a street lamp and pant like crazy. I hear someone clapping in a mock applause nearby. I look up to see a tanned man in a school uniform similar to mine. A dark red bandana is wrapped around his head and a long pointy nose stuck out from under his pair of goggles. That's Usopp for ya, always around when you need him.

"You're late" Usopp says as I walk closer.  
"Why how perceptive of you Sherlock" I joke, taking a seat beside him "So…you got the homework?" Usopp sighs and passes me a sheet of paper. I laugh like a maniac and quickly begin to copy the answers onto my own answer sheet. Usopp shakes his head at me and then continues

"You know, I really don't understand you sometimes Luffy. One day, you're so tired you can barely move and the next, you're almost bouncing off the walls" As I finish copying question 3, I glance up at Usopp with a nervous gaze "What's up with you Luffy?" I feel the sweat dripping down my neck as I reply.

"I…er…I've not been getting much sleep recently" I lie as I bite my lip. Luckily, Usopp nods understandably and looks away, most likely trying to see the bus. Oh god, I really hate lying to my friends about my secret identity. It's why I don't have time for homework. I basically spend all of my free-time being a hero, so I have to copy someone else's homework…

It really isn't easy being a super-hero…

Quickly, I focus on scribbling down the rest of the answers, trying to finish the sheet before the bus arrives.

Luckily, I and Usopp arrive at school just in time. It really helped that the bus was almost full and because of that, we didn't have to stop too much to take on new passengers. As the doors opened, I leap out of the bus and take a deep breathe.

"Finally, freedom!" I yell loudly, getting odd looks from the bus driver and pedestrians walking past. Usopp sighs and grabs hold of my collar, dragging me towards the school grounds. I laugh as he pulls me along but I'm silenced by a fist making contact with my face.

"Hey Nami" I mumble from behind the orange haired woman's knuckles. Nami sighs loudly at my reply and helps Usopp drag me along.

"Do you ever stop messing around?" she asks, hiding her anger behind a sly smile. I smile in return and shake my head.

"Admit it Nami, I make life here a lot more fun!" She and Usopp both sigh loudly, but I know I've made my point as they drag me through the school doors. Finally, I feel their grasp on my collar loosen and I squeeze out of their combined grip.

"Guys, I need to go get something from my locker" I explain as I start to walk in the opposite direction. Nami nods at this.

"Okay then, I'll see you in class…try not to be late again…" she taunts with a wink.

"Come on" I reply with a wide grin "When have you ever known me to be late?"

"Well, there's yesterday, the day before that, the day before that, the day before that, the day before that, the day before…" she starts to list before I interrupt her.

"Okay, I understand that I'm not Mr. Punctual here but I'll get better, I promise" I argue. Nami sighs at me and then walks off with Usopp to class. I watch her retreating back for a moment before walking down the corridor towards my locker.

My locker isn't that far from the main entrance, so luckily, I only have to walk for a few seconds before I'm standing in front of a familiar large vertical grey box. I reach forward and grab a hold of the dial, imputing the locker combination with precision.

2-13-6 and…click!

I grab the side of the locker and pull it open. Before I grab my Science text book, I inspect the contents of the metal cabinet, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over me. On the left hand corner of the inside of the metal box, I can see a rather old photo cello-taped to the wall of the locker. It makes me smile when I see the five figures together on the photo. There are two small raven haired boys standing side by side, grinning ear to ear. The one on the right was me when I was five and the one on the left was a seven year old Ace. In between our younger selves was another person, a boy around the age of fourteen by the looks of things with brown hair and dark eyes. Seeing the face again makes me wipe away the tear that just leaks out. He's Sabo and seeing him again, smiling happily makes me smile as well…but it also makes me cry at the same time…weird right? Anyway, either side of Sabo there are two adults leaning over my and Ace's shoulders with their arms around us. The one with her arms around Ace's shoulder is obviously Makino. She looks a heck of a lot younger than she usually looks but at the same time, the green hair makes it obvious that it's her. The other adult, who has his arms around my shoulders, has red hair and a wide goofy grin on his face. He's Shanks and he's my dad. To tell you the truth, I haven't really seen much of him. It's weird but it seems like almost everyone in our family always tries to help people in some way or another. Sabo was in the police, Ace is a fire-fighter and even Makino runs a bar. Shanks, surprisingly enough, is actually a pilot. Yeah, weird right? That's why I don't really see much of him, because he's always flying off around the world. He calls it an 'adventure' and we all respect his decision…plus, he's coming back home soon for a visit. Awesome right? Yeah, well the problem is that last time Shanks was here, I wasn't the Scarlet Wind, meaning when he comes back, that'll be another problem I can add to my truck load of 'things I need to sort out'

Suddenly, realising I've been daydreaming; I shake my head, grab my science book and shut the locker with a resounding bang. Oddly, I feel kinda happy as I start to walk to class. Who knows? Maybe my luck's finally turning around…

"LUFFY!"

You hear that sound? That's the sound of my good luck coming screeching to a halt. I don't glance up as I here the footsteps beside me. Okay, it's just like how you act with pets when they want something more than they should have. Ignore her for a few and she'll wander away.

"Luffy…" Just empty your mind; you're in your happy place

"Luffy…" You're sitting on a beach; relaxing with food in the sun with a piece of meat in each hand...You're calm…

"Luffy…" …ignore the dark clouds…and the sudden disappearance of meat…AND THE HORRIBLE SNAKE COILING AROUND YOU…

"Luffy…"

"What?" I growl under my breath, ignoring the long and slender arms wrapping around my waist.

"What's wrong honey?" the venomous voice whispers into my ear. I shudder and push my shoulders backwards to force Hancock to let go of me.

"Don't…call…me…honey" I mutter angrily but this only made Hancock giggle.

"Oh Luffy, you're so sexy when you're angry" she says with a blush.

"Explains why you like me then…I'm always angry when I'm around you" I complain before I start to stride down the corridor at a faster pace. Luckily, before Hancock can catch up with me, I slide into the nearby class room that's already bustling with students. I quickly make my way through the small crowds of people and sit down in my seat. The sooner the lesson started, the sooner Hancock could stop following me, trying to get me to go out with her.

If I haven't made it obvious, I absolutely hate Hancock. The first time I met her two years ago, she was nice and I thought she was a good friend. Then, about a week later, I learned that she was a bit of a bully and then, she was trying to threaten my friends into stopping hanging out with me AND THEN…SHE WENT PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN…

I was walking along the street one day when I heard a noise coming from an alley. Of course, curiosity got the better of me and I looked round the corner…only to see Hancock BEATING NAMI UP! Her sisters and some other girls were crowding round, stopping Nami from getting out and whenever Nami tried to fight back, a girl would grab her arm and stop her, allowing Hancock to hit her in the stomach. THAT WAS THE LAST STRAW! You can do anything you want to me. Call me names, spill a drink on me and I'll just laugh it off...but good reason or not, NO-ONE HURTS MY FRIENDS! That moment I decided two things. One: Hancock was a bitch and two: Nami needed me to help her. I hated seeing her like that. Even after I'd made Hancock go away (Nami holding my fist to stop me from hitting her in rage), she still looked in a really bad shape. The black and purple bruises were covered her body like tattoos and there were even scratches here and there that were bleeding. Hancock had done all of that because she had thought Nami and me had something going on and that was what made me royally pissed. Nami's one of my best friends so if anyone messes with her, they mess with me…and if I were going out with her, why should that be any of Hancock's business?...It shouldn't matter if me and Nami started going out…right?

"Hey Luffy, earth to Luffy" Suddenly, I snap out of my daze and turn towards the orange haired girl sitting next to me.

"Sorry Nami…I was just thinking about something else…" I admit, my face suddenly feeling really warm under Nami's gaze. She fakes a shocked expression as I speak and gasps in mock surprise.

"Really? You? Thinking? You really are ill!" Nami taunts. I pout in reply and ignore her giggling. As I'm about to respond with a taunt of my own, a loud voice speaks up and silences the whole class.

"Well well Luffy! We're here on time for once are we?" the grey haired teacher comments with a sly smile. The class starts laughing and I glare at Ben.

"Well either that or you're hallucinating" I mutter as I sulk in my seat. Ben shakes his head at me and turns to face the white board with a laugh.

"Anyway class, today we'll be continuing our work on food chains that we began last lesson" he announces. Quickly, everyone pulls out their workbooks out and plops them on top of the desk. I mimic the class' actions and draw out my own scruffy book. It's ripped all over and on the front of it, scrawled in big capital letters of barely legible hand writing, are the words 'Monkey D. Luffy'. I sigh at the sight of the tattered book and shrug. I really don't know why the book's like this. I'm barely ever in for Science.

"Luffy" I jerk my head up at the mention of my name to see Ben smiling at me "seeing as you're here, care to tell me what a food chain actually is?" I glance around wearily, realising all eyes are on me. Silently, I stand up, place my hands around my back and clear my throat with one hand, before returning it to its place behind my back…

"I believe it is a chain…of food…" My confident reply creates laughter in the people around me and even Ben chuckles slightly.

"Luffy…be serious for a second" Ben scolds me with a joking laugh.

"Well…a food chain is that diagram that shows what animal eats what" I seriously reply. Ben nods at me and his lips curl upwards into a smile. It's good to see him smile. It feels like FOREVER since the last time a teacher smiled at me like that…though me being late to every lesson sure isn't going to help my case is it?

"Nice work Luffy" Ben complements happily "but as a matter of fact, you're half right. You see…"

And that's when it happened.

You know that one moment where you have to do something you need to do but you really don't want to it? I was about to have one of those moments. Before Beckman could continue, the sounds of loud sirens echoed from outside, attracting all of our attentions out the window. Six police cars streak quickly past the window, their blue and red lights flashing as they drove past. Seriously? Now of all the times it could have happened? Sighing, I turn to the front, knowing the words I'm about to speak are about to ruin that entire good smile on Ben's face.

"Hey Ben...I need to go to the toilet" I mutter with shame. Immediately, Ben snaps to attention and stares at me as if I've just said my foot tasted good.

"What?" he asks, eyes wide with surprise. Hesitantly, I repeat my request and Ben's eyes widen.

"But…you just got here..." he says with a confused tone. Glancing once more out of the window, I sigh. The police cars are nearly out of sight. I'd kill myself if someone got hurt because of me. I need to get out of here.

"Look, I'll be just a second…I'll be back soon I promise!" I yell as I run to the door. I can hear a large variety of whispers and shouting as I leave but I can't turn back. One look at Ben's distraught face and I won't be able to get out of here. I wish I didn't have to go…but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that police sirens are never a good sign…

I have a really clever hiding place for my costume at school. On the third floor, there's a room where no-body ever goes in. Rumour is that it's haunted but it's most likely that because it is in such a bad state, they never let any lessons go on up here. I hide my costume in a bag, hidden in an air duct at the side of the room. The grating in front of it is easily removed as it only hangs from one screw but it also stays put when you fix it against the opening. Like lightning, I swipe the bag up from my hiding place and sprint for the roof. As I climb up the stairway that leads to the top of the school, I start getting changed. With a single flick of both legs, my pants are off, revealing the red skin tight leggings. I shrug off my school shirt and slip on the top black half of my costume, which has red stripes running down the sides of my chest. The gloves go on next, folding under my shirt easily. After that, I retrieve the domino mask out of my bag and place it across my eyes, tying the cloth behind the mask up like a blindfold. The final touch to the ensemble is the straw-hat. Oh, how I love that hat. Carefully, I retrieve from the bag, placing it on my head and tying the string attached to it firmly around my neck. Suddenly, I'm no longer Luffy. I'm no longer some school kid who's just ditched his lesson. I'm the Scarlet Wind…and there are people who need my help…

With a confident smile, I drop the bag hidden behind a bunch of metal containers and then, I run towards the roof. Normally, if I tried jumping off the roof, I'd drop quickly (and painfully) to the ground. However, as I leap over the edge, I fire off a long stretchy arm that grabs hold of a far away building. It's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights or I'm sure I'd be screaming right now. Using the grip I have on the building, I swing forwards off the school building and into the skies of Dawn city. I loved this feeling. It was almost like flying every time I stretched out my other arm to grab hold of another ledge, I could feel myself rocketing forwards as I continued to swing further into the city. The wind blew through my hair yet the string of my hat still held the straw garment in place. The light from the sun glistened off the glass windows all around me and I could fell the heat radiating from every angle. It was almost soothing…

No, can't get distracted. Focus on finding those police cars again! Quickly, I increase the speed of my swinging and soar around the corners of the city of glass. Looking down at the street below, I spot a lone police car driving down the street, its siren blaring and it's light as bright as a Christmas tree. I think one of the cars…let's just hope it leads me towards the place where the other cars were heading.

After a few minutes, the police car finally stops in the middle of a street. It seems that the whole road has been blocked off by a variety of police cars. All of them are surrounding what looks like a bank. Carefully, I descend and hop onto the roof of a small building. Nervously, I scan the surroundings of the police cars to see exactly who's down there. There are a lot of police walking around down there, guns pointed towards the bank entrance. One of the police in particular makes me smile. With her down there, I know these guys won't try and shoot at me if I hop down. I grip a hold of the edge of the building and, using that, I repel down onto the street below. As I do so, it appears that some cops spot me and straight away, they draw their guns.

"Stand down men" I hear from behind me as I land. Turning around, I can see clearly the woman who I had observed once before. She was wearing the standard police uniform, a white shirt with blue stripes along the arms and neck. Over that, she had a white coat draped around her shoulders. Her dark red head was oddly patterned with a long ponytail at the back of her head whilst parts of her hair were almost shaved off completely. I smile happily.

"Bellemere, what's going on?" I ask, cautiously approaching the police captain with a smile. Bellemere grins in response.

"Look here Scarlet boy, we can handle this…don't you need to be somewhere?" she asks. I laugh at her reply.

"Sorta, that's why I need you to hurry up and tell me what I can do to help. That way I can get in, sort out what's wrong and be on my way. Care to help?" I question. Bellemere sighs but nods.

"I guess we do need your help…there's been a robbery. A group of criminals, we believe them to be part of the Tiger gang, are in the bank right now. They're stuck there after their getaway turned bad and now, they're hold up in there with hostages" she explains as she looks over towards the bank. I grin widely and walk closer to her.

"So I've got to drop in there and take those guys out without any of the hostages getting hurt?" Bellemere nods with a sigh and looks at me once more.

"If you can" she comments with a sad glance towards me "Look kid, are you okay? You don't look like you've had a lot of sleep lately?" Suddenly, I realise she's looking towards my mask, noticing the large black bags of sleep under them.

"It's nothing…" I say, turning away to hide my face "How'd you notice that anyway?" Bellemere chuckles at my reply.

"When you've been a mother for seventeen years, you notice a few things" she explains. I can't help but laugh in return…but not for the reason you think…

You see, I've mentioned Bellemere before. She's Nami's mum. Yeah, strange right? The super-hero life does that to you.

I look over at the bank one last time and then I turn back to Bellemere with a smile.

"I'll get in there and help…but just in case anything goes wrong, make sure you've got some backup ready" Bellemere nods at my request but before I leave she grabs my arm.

"After this, take a break for a while" she says with a motherly smile "You look like you've been up for two weeks straight. Have a good night sleep tonight Scarlet. The world isn't going to fall apart if you take one night off"

"You never do know these things…" I reply bluntly. Bellemere sighs, letting go of my arm.

"Well…I can't force you can I? But at least I can point you in the right direction" she says, her lips falling into a small frown "I'd say you hurry up and get in there. Garp told me he's on his way and you know how much he wants you in jail" I laugh once more and nod.

"I know…I'll see around then Captain" and with that, I shoot off an elastic arm towards a building near the bank and rocket upwards, towards the roof. Landing there carefully, I sneak carefully over one rooftop to the next towards the bank. At the top of the bank, I notice a large open air-vent leading down into the building. Oh, air vents, friend to hero and heroine alike, how did we ever live without thee?

"Hey Arlong? This stupid kid won't stop crying!"

"Then if he won't shut up, then put him out of his misery!"

"…Well that sure shut the brat up"

I could hear the voices echoing from below me as I crawled slowly and quietly through the air vent. I could already tell who the crooks were I was dealing with, but getting down there…would be problematic. Finally, I manage to crawl into a position so that I can see one of the goons directly below me. There's no doubt about it, they're definitely part of the Tiger gang. I can see the brightly tattooed sun on one of the gang member's arms. Through the grating, I can see the hostages almost directly below me. It was really unwise for them to only have one person on guard though. Carefully, I get into a crouching position above the grating (and the guard below). Come on rubber powers, give me some strength here. I take a deep breathe and in one foul swoop, I push downwards with both of my feet. The resulting added pressure applied to the grating causes it to go flying to the ground, colliding with the thug and knocking him unconscious at the same time. I hear gasps from both the hostages and the gang members as I drop into the room, landing with both of my feet on the ground.

"Hey, mind if I drop in?" I call loudly as I look up at the goons. All of the crooks immediately start to freak out. The one to the far left with really large lips growls at me when he realises I'm there.

"He just took out Jones!" he yells angrily, noticing that the fat guy who was hit with the grating is now unconscious on the floor. Angrily, the man pulls out an Uzi and points it straight at me. The man in the middle of the three gang members with extremely pale skin and a long nose turns to the man on the left and his eyes widen.

"No Chew! DON'T DO IT!" he yells. Unfortunately, his cries fall on deaf ears as Chew starts firing the machine gun at me. The barrage of bullets fly out of Uzi at lightning speed and all of the bullets impact me in my lower abdomen. Whilst the hostages scream, I smile happily.

"What part of rubber man…DON'T YOU GET!" I yell loudly as I bounce back all of the bullets towards Chew. Chew manages to dodge the bullets but doesn't avoid the rubber fist I fire towards his right, causing it to impact him painfully in the head. Chew falls to the floor, whilst the other two men quickly take the opportunity to run for it.

"Arlong!" I can hear the one to the right cry as he puts a phone to his ear "They say the car's just come round the back of the bank, let's book it" The pale skinned man nods at this and smiles.

"Excellent, detonate the explosives at the back of the vault" Arlong commands "We'll make our own exit" For a moment, I ignore the two men sprinting into the vault and instead, I turn around to check on the hostages. I kneel down beside one of them, a man with a blonde short beard with sideburns, and start to untie him.

"Is anyone hurt?" I ask him. The man nods, pointing with his now untied hand towards two security guards on the floor. After I've finished untying him, I run to check on the men, placing two fingers on each of their necks to check their pulse. I sighed with relief. Unconscious, not dead.

"Hey" I say, turning to the man who I've just untied "can you help everyone else out? I've got to get those guys who are getting away…" The man looks up from untying an old lady and nods.

"Already on it" he says "Now go get those creeps!" I smile happily at his request and start to pursue the fleeing crooks.

As I had expected, a wall in the vault had been blown open and there was a large amount of rubble littering the floor. As fast as a lightning bolt, I shot out my arm and it grabbed hold of a street lamp at the other end of the road. Allowing my elastic arm to pull me along, I turn to my left to see a car quickly driving away down the street. It had to be Arlong and his goons. No question about it. I launch another rubber arm forwards to gain a grip on a building ledge and I begin swinging after the escaping car. My speed slowly built up until; finally, I was almost directly above the getaway vehicle. Unfortunately, one of the men in the car spots me and soon, a group of bullets streak past my head.

"Decken, focus better on your aim! He's gaining!" I can hear Arlong shout.

"Okay Arlong, I can do that…I think…" Vander Decken replies as more bullets wiz up from the car. Using a grip I have on another building, I rocket in the other direction, dodging the bullets, but still following the car along the street from the sky.

"I GOT HIM ARLONG...I think…"

"Decken, to your right! He's almost over us!" Decken's gaze shifts and he fires another bullet in my direction. I dodge once more, dropping in altitude so that I'm just slightly above the car.

* * *

_(? p.o.v)_

"_You see him yet?"_

"Yeah" I reply in a monotone expression, looking at the young teenager swinging down the street "You didn't tell me he was so small"

"_Don't be fooled! He's tough. That rubber freak has been foiled most of our heists for weeks"_

"That's what you made me take the operation for" I respond, glaring at my target as he grows steadily nearer.

"_Just be careful" _I hear the voice crackle in my ear _"Mr Zero wants that punk dead so do remember the job at hand and you'll be paid handsomely"_

"I should be paying you for what you've done to me" I argue with a soft smile as I examine the fruits of Dr. Vegapunk's labour.

"_Interesting…we'll talk more about that…AFTER you kill the pest…"_

_(Luffy's p.o.v)_

After dodging another set of bullets, I swing down more until I'm almost level with the rear window of the car.

"Take this freak!" the loud yell alerts me before the shattering of glass and I quickly pull myself up higher as a bullet flies out of the rear window and ricochets into the sky.

"Great shot Decken!" I hear the driver comment as I ascend higher.

"It was?...I mean of course it was! I AM VANDER DECKEN OF COURSE, THE KING OF SHOOTING!" That Decken guy is really starting to get on my nerves. Swinging to a higher spot, I look down at the car below. Maybe if I come in from the high right and swoop down, I'll be able to get the drop on them…

Before I could react, however, a loud roar bellows out from my left. I turn to look at what made the sound but as I do so, something large and heavy hits me and I am send hurtling to the right. As I fall, I collide with a water tower, shattering it (and probably some bones) to pieces. I hit the roof of the building with a groan. Suddenly, my head is really badly aching. As I pull myself to my feet, the large thing hits me again and I'm sent flying backwards, colliding with some wooden storage boxes. Gasping for air, I stagger to my feet. What the heck was that? I feel like I've just been hit by a wrecking ball!

"D-did anyone get the license plate of that truck?" I ask no-one in particular as I finally get steady.

"Oh, I'm a truck am i?" the sudden voice causes me to freeze. I look up in shock at the person who had answered me. Standing a few steps in front of me was a man with a small dark beard. His long and bushy hair flowed down behind his shoulders, hidden behind his dark tuxedo. A top hat was perched on his head, mirroring my own straw-hat that was now barely hanging onto my skull. A white tie was around the man's neck and a similar white bird was standing on his shoulders.

"W-who…who are you?" I ask, glaring at the man. The man laughs at my question.

"It doesn't matter who I am…" the man taunts me with a sly grin "but when I'm done with you, you'll be WISHING you HAD been hit by a truck…"

Somehow, I found that I didn't doubt this man's threat…

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 1: Predators Act 2**_

_**No, no preview…it'd make your head explode from the awesomeness…**_

_**Also, whilst I have planned a bit of this story, there are some things that I haven't really worked out yet, so, if you have any requests or ideas (within reason of course) with what you want me to do with the story, then just mention it in your review or message me about it.**_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	3. Chapter 1: Predators Act 2

_**Another chapter of Scarlet Wind for your viewing pleasure.**_

_**The reasons why I've updated this chapter insanely quickly are because…**_

_**This fight is mostly ACTION! And it is short (compared to the first and second chapters I think)**_

_**I really want to start working on my holiday homework (yes, I got homework on my fortnight off :( Sucks…), the one-shot requests and, most importantly, Search The Wind…(dodges a spear from the crowd) I'LL GET IT UP SOON, BE PATIENT!**_

_**I really wanted to make a big cliff hanger before I switched onto another story for a while…you'll know what I mean when you read it…**_

_**So without further ado, let's begin Scarlet Wind Chapter 1 Act 2!**_

_**By the way, this chapter is dedicated to Polar, who gave me a really good idea to use in this chapter.**_

_**I hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Predators: Act 2**_

_(Nami p.o.v)_

"And so as you can see here, the leopard is a natural predator due to the way it's evolved to have a spotted skin, which it has adapted to help with camouflage. The same goes for Polar Bears, who have evolved into possessing thick fur coats so they can survive the chilling cold of the Arctic tundra. Any questions?" At that moment, before any one could say anything more, a loud bell rang out in the class room. Immediately, students all around the room begin to pack away getting ready to leave. Mr. Beckman yells over the shuffling of students and bags that we're supposed to read chapters 12 and 13 in our books before the next lesson. Of course, no-one really hears him but I manage to note it down in my notebook as I start to leave.

"Excuse me Nami; can I talk to you before you go?" Hearing my name being called, I turn to see Mr. Beckman staring at me with a sad gaze. Nervously, I approach him.

"Yes sir?" I ask politely

"Luffy's not back yet…" Mr Beckman says bitterly.

"I'm sure he's just taking his time to rinse his hands thoroughly" I reason.

"He's been gone for an hour!"

"…he's very enthusiastic about washing his hands…"

"Nami…now is not the time for jokes" At Beckman's command, I fall silent and glance to the floor "Do you know where he is?" Beckman asks. I shake my head sadly.

"I really don't know…" I answer quietly, my eyes still glued to the floor.

"You know Nami…sticking up for Luffy will only get him in more trouble…"

"I'M NOT STICKING UP FOR HIM!" I yell loudly, shocking the calm Beckman. Realising my rude bellow, I quickly try to regain some of my composure by looking away from Beckman's gaze.

"Luffy's…just a little off lately…I haven't really had much time to talk to him recently…" Beckman pauses for a moment but then nods at me.

"Okay then Nami…if you see him, you'll let me know right?" I nod in return and Beckman sits back down behind his desk "Thank you…you can go now Nami…have a nice day"

"Thank you Mr. Beckman…I'll see you later" I then left Beckman to his silence as I exited the room and closed the door. The corridor was as empty as a ghost town, so I decided to take a moment's pause. I walked over to the wall opposite and I sat down on the floor. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my mobile. I dialled Luffy's number and placed the phone to my ear.

"Hey, you've reached the mobile of Monkey D. Luffy. I'm obviously not here right now…it's like talking to a ghost right?... Anyway, you should leave a message and let me get back to you later…or you could just wait there and listen to my sexy voice some more if you wanted…" I roll my eyes and sigh at the sound of Luffy's voicemail and pocket my phone sadly.

Luffy…where the hell are you?

* * *

_(Luffy p.o.v)_

The rooftop was eerily silent as I stared at my new opponent. Who the heck was this guy? Had he just leapt from a helicopter or something? How the hell had he gotten up here? I glance slightly to my right. Arlong and his goons are no-where in sight. This guy's caused me to loose them…well; I might as well take this guy out…whoever he is, he's obviously looking for a fight…so I might as well beat him quickly so I can get back to school.

"Okay buddy" I call, glaring at the figure in the top-hat "I need to get going so if you wanna fight, come on!" At my demand, the bearded man laughs loudly at me.

"All right then…I guess we should start then…"

And with that, the guy suddenly steps forward…and then he's right in front of me. I blink in surprise as I feel the man's fist impacts with my stomach. I spit out a small bit of blood and quickly kick forward with my left leg. The man dodges the arc of my kick and leaps backward to his original position. After a few steps backward from the blow to my stomach, I look up at him with wide eyes, my legs suddenly quivering at his presence. How come this guy was so…so fast? The man chuckles as he stands up from his crouched position and takes up a fighting stance with his two legs clamped together, his right palm pointing out to me and his left arm draped at his side.

"And to think…I'd thought you'd be a challenge" the man taunts with a sly smirk "Looks like I'll be able to beat you without pushing myself too far…" I can't help but smile at his arrogance and I take up my usual fighting stance as well.

"I've not even started" I mutter and in a flash, I've launched forward my right fist. The man's eyes widen and he sidesteps the punch, calmly grabbing hold of my wrist.

"Nice try but…" he starts to say but is suddenly interrupted as instead of my arm snapping back to its original size at my side, my body is pulled forward, due to his grip on my arm and I head butt him roughly in the chest with incredible speed. The man groans in pain and his grip loosens on my wrist. Before he can recover, I quickly land on my feet and send my released right fist flying towards his face. The fist hits him square on the nose and I quickly proceed to follow the punch up with another one from my other hand. Unfortunately, as my right fist recoils slightly, the man delivers a swift kick to my left hand side, causing me to shift to my right to dodge it. Due to my new sideways perspective, I deliver a swift elbow blow towards the man's left arm. The fist makes contact and the man winces as my left hand side turns back around and my fist continues in an arc, flying into his abdomen and sending him to the floor a few feet away. As my muscles start to relax, I sigh with relief.

"Guess he wasn't anything special…" I mutter as I turn around. I'm sure I've missed a lot of Beckman's class but I can at least get back before the end of the lesson.

"…I admit kid, I underestimated you…" At the sound of the man's voice, I tense up and turn around…only to receive a kick to my chest. I gasp in surprise and stagger backwards, looking up at the man standing in front of me. The bird on his shoulder now absent and the hat on his head removed. Nervously, I take four unsteady steps backward and stand there, panting and glaring at this mysterious assailant.

Sorry Beckman…this is gonna take longer than I thought…

* * *

_(Zoro p.o.v)_

I'm often told that I don't notice a lot of things…mostly because I'm half asleep at the time. That really stopped after that talk I had with my uncle Hawkeye. He's the only real family I've ever had and when I first became interested in swords and duelling, he taught me a great life lesson. To be a swordsman, a person must have a great awareness of their environment. They must be aware of every flaw of the human body and be able to pick out the one moment and the one area of the body where his opponent will be weakest…even if I hadn't known all of that, even I could realise that Luffy's disappearances were becoming a regular oddity. It had started ever since we started school last week, Luffy would almost never turn up for lessons and if he did, he'd be late. Not to sound like a wuss…but I'm starting to worry about him…Plus, whenever I've tried to meet up with him on the weekends to hang out, he's been really distant. He's been like that all summer and now, I'm kinda concerned about him. I know I'm not alone in that regard either. Nami seems really distant recently when Luffy's been concerned. I could tell all the way through summer and I can tell she's worried now as she sits down in front of me in English. Pell looks over at her and, realising Luffy's not here, he sighs as well and keeps talking about Jekyll and Hyde…something about doppelgangers and dual identities but I'm not really listening…It's like without Luffy here all the fun goes out of everything…I think it's that way for everyone else as well. Usopp's just doodling in his book (something about him being a super-hero or some crazy shit like that) and he keeps looking over to Luffy's seat and seems really sad that the idiot's not here. Dart-brow's also distracted and instead of spending the lesson eying up girls and swooning over them, he's just sitting in his chair like a melancholy old man who's just too tired to move. Chopper seems down as well. He's sitting next to me and I can see him almost falling asleep at Pell's voice. Vivi and Kaya are equally down and they keep sighing with sadness. Nami looks the most bored, her eyes glued to the view out the window. To add insult to injury, even Robin's in a funk. Robin? THE ROBIN SAD? I know, shocks me too. Usually she's never this out of it but she's so distracted, she isn't even putting her hand up to answer questions. I know what you're thinking. THE ROBIN NOT INTERESTED IN SCHOOL WORK? Exactly my point. It's like Luffy's dead or something…

"Zoro, are you listening?" Pell's words snap me out of my daze and I nod.

"Yeah"

"Then what did I just say?"

"Er…" Darn you Luffy…

"As I thought. Please listen in future" Pell says before returning to the board. I sigh quietly and look out the window.

This is gonna be a long day…

* * *

_(Luffy p.o.v)_

How the hell is this guy even standing right now?  
I've hit him, I've kicked him…

I've even freaking head-butted him and he's still standing?

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO BEAT THIS GUY?

The bearded man starts laughing loudly and gives me a sly glare.

"I suppose I'm going to have to end this quickly" the man mutters at me. He clasps his hands together and cracks his knuckles loudly. I shiver at the sound and quickly get into a fighting position. Calmly, the man removes a small yellow pill from his pocket and grins at me.

"What the hecks that?" I ask angrily, my eyes focused on the pill in the man's hand. The stranger laughs loudly at me and smiles.

"I might as well tell you…after all, it'll be the last thing you'll hear" he comments "You see brat, I've been hired to take you down. Usually, I wouldn't be able to beat you like I am now…so, I had a little operation to make me strong enough to be able to fight you. This pill of mine is basically a one way ticket to beating you. The transformation only lasts for half an hour…but I think that that'll be enough time for me to put you out of your misery" I cock my head to the side in complete confusion. Transformation? What the heck was this guy talking about?

Unfortunately, I was just about to find out…

The man lowered the pill into his mouth and swallowed it whole with a large gulp. The moment he swallowed the pill, his body seemed to shake in place. His breathing became more and more erratic and the man's smile seemed to widen sickeningly. Slowly, the body of the stranger began to change. His chest and his torso appeared to grow in size and his arms became wider and thicker. As his body became larger, his tuxedo began to rip and tear and by the time his body had stopped growing, his shirt and blazer had literally been ripped to shreds and were now littering the floor. Thank god his legs hadn't grown in size as his pants remained intact. Whilst the size of his legs stayed relatively the same, however, the shape of them changed to that of an animal, with claws for toes. Whatever this man had been was no more and instead, there was a large leopard man standing before me. My mouth hung open at the sight of this giant creature.

"Prepare Scarlet Wind to meet your match"

I mutter a string of swear words under my breath repeatedly. My first super villain? I'm not sure whether to be excited or scared for my life.

Luckily, the excitement takes over.

"So you're basically a giant leopard man? SWEET! I've always wanted to beat a super villain!" I announce with glee. The leopard smiles widely and laughs.

"You're awfully cocky for someone who's about to die" the man replies. I start laughing in response.

"Are you kidding? This is so cool! I'm gonna kick your ass"

"Prepare to be quite unpleasantly surprised…" In an instant, the leopard is suddenly right in front of me. Swiftly, he slashes forwards with his left hand, his claws barely missing my chest as I sidestep to avoid him.

"So Kitty cat" I ask, leaping further away from him "who gave you the instant super powers pills?" The leopard smirks sinisterly at my question and sprints quickly towards me.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he sarcastically asks as he pounces at me, claws bared.

"Yeah, that's why I asked" I reply, firing a rubber fist at the leopard. Surprisingly, the stranger sidesteps my fist and as he runs past me, the claws on his left hand sink into my abdomen. I scream slightly in pain and the leopard man casually flings me over to the building next to the rooftop. I fly through a glass window, the shards cutting slightly into my skin as I crash through the window. I hit the floor and immediately spring to my feet, landing in a crouching position. Glancing around, I realise I'm in an office. Thank god no-one's using it right now or this would be a really odd surprise for them. I touch the deep claw marks on my abdomen and wince at the pain. Shit, that hurts a lot. Angrily, I look over to the window where the leopard-man has just entered the room. As he approaches me, he grabs hold of one of the nearby desks and then, throws it at me. I leap over the desk (with the wood barely touching my stomach) and stretch out two arms forward towards the leopard. I grab hold of his shoulders and I heave myself forward, sending me rocketing into the guy's chest…the only difference being that before, that worked…now? The feline warrior takes the hit but instead of stumbling backwards, he grabs hold of my arms and pulls them down, bringing my head into contact with his knee. After that, he casually throws me to the right, where I smash through another window. Geez, my head is ringing right now. Quickly, before I hit the street below, I fire out both of my arms towards the shattered window. I manage to get a grip on the broken glass (that hurts like hell as well) and, I spring upwards. As I re-enter the building through the broken window, I catch the leopard unawares and quickly deliver an uppercut to his chin and then hit him square in the ribs with a rubber kick. THAT finally does some damage and the fanged beast starts to stagger backwards, clasping his jaw. I can't let up now I've got him on the ropes…

"Aw, little kitty hurt himself!" I mock with a confident smile as I quickly deliver a flurry of punches in his direction. A couple of the blows hit him but the rest, the leopard counters by blocking with his large forearms.

"Stop calling me KITTY!" the large cat bellows as he charges forward. I vault over him, escaping his grip and then stretch out my leg, hoping it hits him in the back. It misses and the leopard leaps onto the ceiling, clutching it with his huge claws.

"Then tell me your name then and I'll stop calling you it" I joke as the leopard lunges from the ceiling towards me. I leap over him but the crafty cat grabs hold of my leg and throws me down onto the floor. I gasp loudly from the pain but endure it as I place both of my hands on the ground behind me. Using my hands, I push my self off the ground and perform a back flip (kicking the leopard in the face as a bonus) and then land on my feet. The large leopard snarls and strikes forward once more with his fists in an attempt to sink his claws into me again. Okay, I've got to keep dodging then…

Left, right, left, right, jump, right, left, duck, left and…

As I duck once more away from the blow, the leopard kicks forward with full force, hitting me right in the chin and sending me backwards, out of another window. What is it with me and windows today? I might as well stop using doors at this rate. Quickly, I stretch out a hand (which gains a grip on the roof of the office building), allowing me to swing around and land on the open roof top, which we had started the fight on. The leopard follows me, leaping out of a window and landing in a crouched position on the roof of the building.

"Not bad kitty" I pant to myself, already worn out from the long fight. The leopard man smiles once more and laughs. I promptly launch forward another rubber fist, which hits the leopard square in the chest. The stranger laughs at the attack and licks his lips.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" He mocks with barred fangs.

"Oh trust me" I retort with a smirk "When it hurts…you'll know…" To be honest though, that was supposed to hurt. Is this guy made of iron or something? As much as I'd like to think I'm making progress, I can tell that I'm not making that much of a dent in this guy. We've been fighting for what feels like hours now and it doesn't seem that any of my attacks really did anything to him. The leopard man smiles widely as he charges forward once more. My body feels so numb right now that I'm not sure I can dodge…so I do the next best thing…

I stretch my leg as far back as it can go and I fling it forwards at the Leopard. He jumps over it and before I can properly react, his large paw is grasping my throat. I choke slightly as his grip around my neck tightens. The leopard chuckles loudly at my misfortune and flings me to the floor once more. Before I can move, I feel another set of claws sink into my chest and I scream in pain. This is too much. It hurts. My whole body is covered in bruises and scratches…I've…I've gotta fight back…somehow. I lash out a kick with all my might, which sends the leopard man flying into the sky. The leopard does manage to gain a hold of himself though and lands on the roof of the office building opposite. I heave myself to my feet, staggering around limply and panting like crazy. I'm too tired right now. I'm just too out of it. I've been swinging round the city following police cars, following Arlong's car for who knows how long…and now, I'm fighting tall, dark and gruesome over there…This is all just too much…I can't keep going like this. I can feel my heart beating even faster than usual and my muscles are aching so much. I can barely register anything around me. It's only the laughing of the leopard guy that makes me focus again.

"Face it kid!" The large beast taunts from above me "You're out of your league! You're like a monkey jumping from tree to tree, thinking you're something special..." I barely dodge his fist as the leopard guy leaps down at me. I feel the cold chill on the side of my cheek as one of his claws cuts me slightly. I dodge to the left and end up clutching a nearby wall for support "and then there's me" he continues confidently "I'm the leopard, the head of the food chain and your main predator" Suddenly, the man starts to chuckle, his body shaking with each laughter "Hey kid, you said I needed a name right? I think I've got one"  
"Oh...you're going…with Kitty…like I suggested then?" I joke in-between pants, ignoring the pain I can feel in the right side of my body. The leopard ignores me and smiles.  
"No...Predator...that's me! I'M THE PREDATOR!" He snarls as he roars loudly into the sky. I shudder at the newly named 'Predator's' loud announcement and I feel my knees buckles underneath my own weight. I've done too much…need to fight…or run…run far and fast and just get out of here…

This is the first time I've ever said this since I became the Scarlet Wind…but…this is a fight that I just can't win right now. I'm too worn out…I guess all those sleepless nights of patrolling the streets are coming back to haunt me now…

I rapidly glanced both left and right, looking for a way to escape…a way to run…As I glance around, I notice an alley to the right. Quickly, I run in that direction in an attempt to get away but as I move, Predator's claws reach out and impale me in my left arm. I scream loudly as the leopard man pulls me back into his grip, once more slashing at my chest with his claws.

"You're not thinking of running away now, are you kid?" he asks with a toothy grin as he flings me towards the already smashed window into the office. The remaining glass shatters as I fall to the floor, cuts and bruises all over my body. It feels so bad...so much pain…

Slowly, I try to stand up but I end up falling back down to the floor. My body's just aching…my body's going numb...losing…focus…conscience…

I awake slightly as Predator kicks me roughly in the stomach. I soar into the wall opposite and land with a thud on the floor…can't move…so much pain…it hurts so much…I can feel the blood leaking out of my mouth as I pant. My head is banging like someone's using it as a bongo. I look upwards…my eyes barely focusing…Standing above me is a gigantic looming figure.

"Aw…don't go fading on me now kiddo…" a suave voice calls to me "I'm far from done…" I try to reply but all I can manage is a mumbled gurgle as my head falls forward.

I'm tired…I need to sleep…so much pain…the aching….the bleeding…make it stop…

The leopard above me chuckles loudly.

"Aw, you wanna sleep kiddo?" I groan loudly as I receive another kick to the ribs, causing me to fall sideways to the floor "well then…I'll have to thank you for getting me these powers kid. If it hadn't been for you, Vegapunk would never have given me these amazing abilities…"

V-v-vegapunk?…w-who…who's he?

The leopard grins and sinks his sharp claws into the wall behind me.

"I guess you could say they're so good…that they bring down the house"

With that finally statement, Predator heaves at the wall and the structure starts to crack. I can hear all around me the sound of crumbling and breaking, but I'm too tired…my mind can't process it…

Predator leaps out of the window and looks back at me with a smile.

"Goodbye…Scarlet Wind…" he calls happily, before departing into the city. As he leaves, I can feel parts of plaster falling onto me…then bricks…then who knows what…All I can truly focus on is the large burning pain in body…I want it to end so badly…I look up at the fading light one last time…my eyes twitch slightly…and then…

That's when I finally lost consciousness…

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 1: Predators Act 3**_

…_**Admit it…I'm pure evil when it comes to cliff hangers…**_

_**I'm taking a little break with the story, though I should update it as soon as I've finished all the homework I need to do AND a lot of the one-shot requests are out of the way…(dodges another spear) and YES, I will do more on Search The Wind as soon as I can…**_

_**Until then, I'm Shadowonthewall6…and I love my ellipsis…**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome**_


	4. Chapter 1: Predators Act 3

_**I bet you readers are REALLY annoyed at the cliff hanger last time. Well don't worry, because here comes the next extra long part of Scarlet Wind for your viewing pleasure.**_

_**I hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Predators Act 3**_

"…that him?"

"Yeah that's him, quick get a stretcher"

"Scarlet"

"Scarlet"

"Scarlet"

* * *

"_Luffy"_

_My eyes flew open. I was lying down on a towel. I could feel the sand of the beach all around me. The sun was nice and warm as it beat down upon me._

"_Hey Luffy, you there?" At the sound of the voice, I shot up, only for two fingers to be flicked against my skull._

"_AH" I screamed "Sabo! What the hell's wrong with you?" Sabo smiled at me in reply and chuckled to himself._

"_Same old Luffy, hot headed to the core" he joked with a grin. Slowly, he stood up and I followed him, only being tall enough to come up to Sabo's waistline. The twelve year old brown haired boy looked down at me and ruffled my hair. I pushed his hand away but still smiled none the less._

"_I wanna show you something…" Sabo announced with a wide grin. I looked up at him with a confused expression but Sabo shook his head._

"…_It's…better to show you…" he mumbled. Sabo reached out his hand for me and I grabbed it without hesitation. My older brother smiled and we both walked across the sandy plains towards the sapphire sea. One glance at the wet ocean and I pulled on Sabo's leg._

"_Sabo…why are we going to the sea? You know I can't swim right" Sabo doesn't listen to my questions and instead keeps walking through the water. Finally, when he stopped, I was up to my knees in the cool salty ocean._

"_Sabo…what are we looking for?" I questioned in pure confusion. Sabo merely smiled at me and pointed straight ahead. Due to my curious nature, I cautiously stepped forward, looking in an attempt to see where Sabo was pointing. As I stepped forward however, the ground suddenly gave out beneath me and I tripped forward…_

_I landed in water. Cold and dark water. I was sinking fast. I kicked out, in fear and anger. Unfortunately, it was becoming obvious how futile my efforts were as I sank deeper and deeper beneath the waves. My lungs were aching like they were going to burst. I held my breath and kicked my legs rapidly. I reach my hand upwards, begging…pleading to someone to help me. I didn't want to sink into the darkness. I needed help...Sabo…help me Sabo…_

_Help me…_

"_Luffy, stop being stupid…" I looked upwards to see Sabo standing up straight in the middle of the pool of water _

"_Come on" the brown haired boy called, smiling happily "I didn't have a quitter for a brother, get up"_

_I can't Sabo…I just can't..._

"_Can't is not a word I have my vocabulary" Sabo announced, his eyes closing as he sighed._

_Sabo…I need your help..._

"_Luffy…I'm not going to be here for you to lean on forever…you need to stand by yourself for a change…"_

_Sabo! DON'T SAY STUFF LIKE THAT! I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU!_

"_LUFFY! STOP BEING SUCH A CRY BABY!" Sabo yelled, shocking me slightly "THAT'S NOT THE REAL YOU AND YOU KNOW IT…You don't need me…you don't need me to help you stand…so stand up…"_

_Sabo…I…_

"_Luffy…stand up…"_

_At his words, my finger twitched._

"_Luffy…stand up"_

_My whole body moved at once for a moment…_

"_Luffy…"_

_Suddenly, I was no longer sinking lower and lower…I'm being raised out of the water, floating upwards, higher and higher…_

"_Stand…"_

_And now I'm soaring, soaring through the sky towards a bright shining light that begins to encompass my vision…_

"_Up…"_

* * *

With a gasp of air, I shot up from the bed I was on and began panting heavily. I'm covered in sweat and my vision is shaking for a moment but it soon returns to normal. I look around frantically, trying to recognise my surroundings. I can hear beeping and whirring and I have no idea where I am.

"Wow, kid calm down" At the sound of the voice, I look over to see a woman with red hair watching me. Bellemere smiles softly and places a hand firmly on my shoulder. I flinch at the contact but never the less, I calm down.

"Where…am..." I begin before my head starts throbbing like hell "Ah!" I gasp, a large migraine pulsating around my mind "What happened?" I ask, looking at Bellemere with one eye "I feel like I just got hit in the head by a brick"

"Makes sense…we found you under a pile of rubble in someone's private office in a building in the downtown district. Want to tell me what happened first?" I groan…then I remember.

Arlong

Decken

Predator

Claw

Tired

Sleep

Wall

Sabo

"…He beat me…" those were the only words I said in reply. For a moment, I completely zone out, focusing only on my stomach. It's bandaged and it looks as if blood was hiding underneath the bandages. I'm hurt…they had removed my costume…my…

Straight away my hand reaches upwards to my face. My figure eight mask is still on. I look up at Bellemere. She laughs.

"Don't worry. I made sure they didn't remove your mask…no real need too, the mask doesn't restrict your breathing so the doctor was able to resuscitate you without having to remove it" Bellemere explains. My eyes are still wide with shock at Bellemere's words.

"So…I wasn't breathing for a while…?" I ask, shaking slightly. The thought of me being almost dead…it gave me the chills. NO-ONE had ever beaten me like that. This is the first loss I've ever suffered since I started the superhero thing…and I can honestly say that it was a huge freaking loss…

"Scarlet…I recommend you rest up for a bit" Bellemere advises as she notices my forlorn expression "Also, diagnosis wise…well, you're one lucky kid. From what the Doctor could tell, about six of your ribs are fractured and you're covered in bruises and blood…but apart from that, believe it or not, you're mostly fine. I'm guessing that rubber skin of yours helped stop your body getting damaged so much" I stare at Bellemere in confusion, but never the less, I nod. Lucky? That is a HUGE understatement! How the heck did I get out of that with just a few broken ribs? Granted, my ribs hurt like hell and I feel like I'm going to pass out any second now…but at least I got out of there with only a small amount of damage.

"So then…" I mutter "what do I have to do to treat it?" Bellemere, in reply, points towards some pills and an icepack that were left on a table nearby.

"You'll need to take those pain killers four times a day and, also, it'd help if you could keep that ice pack on your chest for about an few hours a day" I nod at all of Bellemere's explanations but still stay silent.

"O...kay..." I say with a hoarse voice. My whole body hurts and aches and I just can't keep eyes open. Angrily, I bang my fist on the bed. Predator…he beat me…I just hate feeling like this…I just feel so…so weak…

* * *

_**Bellemere P.O.V**_

My god, how is this kid still alive? I remember finding him under that pile of rubble. Someone had phoned the police saying there was a disturbance downtown and, since we were the nearest unit, we went to the area of disturbance. Then, we took the stairs all the way to the top of the building (it wasn't too high but it did take a while to get up there)…and we found him. He looked like a corpse. The whole area around him was decimated. The roof had caved in a bit and the whole wall that was behind him had been brought down on top of him. It made me shudder when we managed to dig him out of there. I didn't want to remove his mask to see if he was awake and I warned the other doctors not too as well. Luckily, they were trustworthy and they didn't. We brought him to ground level out of the building. They managed to bring the kid back…but an extremely small part of me is not sure they all have. Sure, Scarlet's alive…but he's not alive and kicking yet. Whilst his body seems awake and his chest is rhythmically moving up and down, I've never seen a person look so dead that have looked so dead. Scarlet's spirit is dead. His will to fight has been extinguished. The kid is basically just a shell of what he used to be. Sadly, I bend over, meeting the gaze of Scarlet's mask.

"I need to go check on things outside…will you be okay if I go for a bit?" I ask worryingly. Scarlet nods. I'm not so sure he really hears what I'm saying, but I agree and turn around to exit the ambulance. Before I leave, I glance backwards towards Scarlet one last time. I shudder at the way Scarlet sits there, completely and utterly broken. With deep regret, I shut the doors of the Ambulance and walk away.

Outside, I slump down against the shut Ambulance door. I sigh with a deep sense of dread and wipe the small tear gracing my cheek. Dammit, I'm getting too close to that kid. After a small moment of relaxation, I realise that loud shouts and yells are echoing from nearby, as if some people were arguing. Slowly, I stand up and approach the yells.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" A gruff voice yells.

"Sorry sir…" a timid voice replies "but Captain Bellemere has instructed that I not let anyone pass through…including police…"

"I DON'T CARE IF SHE TOLD YOU TO SHOOT ME ON SIGHT, GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Sorry sir…I can't do that…"

"ALRIGHT THEN, I HATE PLAYING HARDBALL BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE LIKE THAT, I'LL SUSPEND YOU FROM THE FORCE IF YOU DON'T LET ME THROUGH!"

"What's going on here?" I ask as I finally reach the area where the argument was. At the sound of my voice, the officer who was arguing turned around and I recognise who he was talking with. Behind him is an old man in a regular police attire with a white shirt, as well as a white coat draped over his shoulders, indicating the man was of high rank. I sigh loudly.

"What the heck are you doing here Garp?" I ask with an uninterested gaze. In reply, Garp glares at me and points in my direction.

"BELLEMERE!" He bellowed loudly "WHERE IS HE?" I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up at his words but I bluffed and remained calm.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" I mutter in response. Garp isn't satisfied by my reply, however, and instead of listening to me, he pushes the officer who was keeping him away out of his way and grips my shirt roughly.

"Don't you DARE lie to me Bellemere. WHERE IS THE VIGILANTE?" He bellows loudly. I raise up both of my hands and I remove the grip Garp has on me.

"And don't you DARE talk down to me Garp" I reply, angrily glaring at the elderly man. Garp ignores me once more and pushes me out of his way.

"You didn't answer my question! Where is the Scarlet Wind?" he asks angrily making his way through the barricaded area.

"He's not here" I reply, following behind Garp and attempting to pull the old man back. Garp, however, manages to reach the ambulance. He grabs both of the door handles and readies himself.

"Not here eh?" he asks. My eyes widen and I move faster through the area, grabbing Garp on the shoulder and trying to tug him away. I know how much Garp wants to see Scarlet behind bars and I'm not letting him get that kid. It's been Garp's belief that Scarlet's a bad influence on kids and teaches them to act outside the law. The old man means well but he doesn't appreciate how much Scarlet's helped the police. Crime rates have dropped dramatically but Garp doesn't think the end is worth the means. He's been hunting Scarlet for weeks…and now is his perfect time to get him.

"Garp, don't you…"  
"THEN WHO THE HELL IS THIS?" Garp shouts as he pulls both of the doors wide open…

The confident smile on his face disappears and a disappointed frown crosses his lips.

I lean out from beside him and have to hide my shock.

The back of the ambulance is empty and the left hand side door of the ambulance is wide open. The pain killers and the ice pack aren't there any more.

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

Some people say that it sometimes seems as if every city has a distinct rhythm or beat to it and that if you listen very carefully, you can sometimes hear the tune. You know what the tune of this city is right now?

"!"

Why is that you may wonder?

It's because that's the word I'm constantly screaming as I swing through the city. My arms feel like they're tearing off as I stretch out my arm. I'm banging a lot into rooftops and into the side of buildings but I don't stop and keep going. I need to get out of here…I need to run and find a place to sleep for a while...I'm just so tired. I groan as my chest stings for a small moment before the pain subsides slightly. It doesn't help that I've got both the icepack and pain pills Bellemere gave me hidden under my outfit, pinning the cold pack and the large tub to my kidney. The cold touch of the ice bag on the side of my body caused me to shake and shout due to the extremely cold pressure being applied to my side. I'm not sure which hurts more, my aching chest and arms or the stupid pain killers being pinned to my side. After a few quick seconds of swinging, I can see Dawn high in the distance. With one last stretch of my arm (and another cry of pain), I travel the distance towards the school roof and I land…who the hell am I kidding, I CRASH onto the roof. I shout once more as the side I land on has the icepack on it and the ice pack and pain killers are shoved into my ribs by the cold, hard rooftop. I am DEFINITELY going to be feeling this tonight when I'm trying to go to bed. With an angry grunt, I attempt to get up by body gives way underneath me and I fall once more to the floor. I try once more and fail to get up. With that final failure, I sigh and decide that I just can't stand up right now. I can still crawl though so I make my way towards the roof entrance and prop myself up at the side of it. I just feel so tired right now. With shaky hands, I pull out the pain killers Bellemere gave me and I take out a pill, downing it whole with a gulp. That should help…but right now…I feel so…tired…I'm…just gonna…take a nap…for a…

And with a loud sigh, I lose consciousness in the shadow of the roof entrance…

* * *

_**Usopp P.O.V**_

Nami walks into the lunch room with a small sad frown. We all notice as she enters and our eyes become fixed to her. Slowly, she approaches the table and silently sits down. Her eyes are vacant and unfocused as she looks up at all of us. Vivi is the nearest to her and puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Well…did you find him?" the blue haired girl asked. As expected, Nami shook her head sadly.

"No…I tried phoning him, texting him, everything…but I just couldn't get in contact with him…" she explains. At her words, all of our heads lower as if in a depressed slump. I sigh quietly, my gaze turning down towards my fingers. This is really bad. Luffy's late. That's a fact. The guy's always late…but this? This is overkill! Luffy is NEVER this late…EVER! Something's wrong…something is definitely wrong…

Zoro interrupts all of our solemn thoughts as he calmly reaches for the meal he's ordered from the school's canteen.

"Look, Luffy's not here…but he wouldn't want us to be moping about him" he announces loudly "Besides, I'm sure Luffy can take care of himself" Zoro looks up at us, watching our next action to see if his speech worked. As it turned out, it sort of did. At Zoro's words, the others around the table reluctantly nodded and began to eat their lunch. Acknowledging his good work, Zoro nodded as well and took a large bite out of the burger he had in his hand. I mimic the rest of the people on the table, eating the dinner which I had received whilst all along ignoring that fearful and nervous thought that something bad had happened to Luffy. I felt just plain horrible. How could Zoro have such a strong sense of will? How could he be able to have so much faith in Luffy? To tell you the truth, I've always envied that about Luffy and Zoro. The two of them have always been able to perceiver through thick and thin. No matter what comes their way, they keep on moving. It's what I admire about them…and I really want to be the same…

I shake my head roughly, as if to ignore those thoughts, and my mind wanders onto something else. What class do I have next?...Let's see…We've just had Art with Dad (yeah, having your parent as a teacher is kinda weird) so that means that after Lunch, it should be form time. Our form teacher is actually Mr. Beckman, due to the fact that he's the teacher that has us the most often. Beckman is gonna be pissed as hell when he learns Luffy hasn't been in since this morning…

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

It's about three hours later when I finally regain consciousness. My eyes open shakily and I groan loudly. Where the hell am I? Suddenly, I feel all my memories rushing back to me and I slowly stand upwards. My body is aching and I can feel the pain flowing through my body. I shudder slightly but the pain feels a lot more dulled than before. The pain killers feel like they're working better than I thought. I can actually manage to move without coughing up blood and collapsing with a cry of pain. Slowly, I make my way towards the metal containers where I've hid my school uniform. The pain in my body may be gone but I still fell a little uneasy on my feet. Luckily, the more I move, the more I can feel myself getting better. Soon, I've finally managed to reach the area where I hid my clothes and I start to get changed out of my Scarlet Wind outfit. I'm careful not to damage the bandages that are wrapped neatly around my waist and chest as I pull on my school shirt. My pants are also easily pulled on but I leave my red tie loose around my neck. Our school uniform is really simple so, luckily, I'm dressed now as I slip on my black shoes. I turn around after I'm done; stuffing the ripped and torn outfit into the bag I usually kept it in. I pretty much bounded down the stairs, stopping once and then hiding the bag in the air vent of the abandoned classroom on the third floor. After that, I ran straight back towards Beckman's classroom…I can't have been gone too long…right?

Well I find my answer as I find myself in front of the room. I grasp a hold of the handle of the door and open it. As the door swings open, the room falls silent and I calmly walk inside. All of the students continued to stare at me, as if mesmerised by my very presence. I made my way over to my usual seat and sat down, ignoring all of the other people looking at me. Beckman, in particular, was staring towards me as if he hadn't even expected to see me again. After a while, the silence began to irritate me and I leaned towards Nami.

"Hey, what's up with these guys?" I ask, worried by everyone's sudden interest in me.

I was so worried that I didn't notice as Nami raised her hand and slapped me in the face…

The slap was such a surprise to me that it took a while to realise what she'd done, so I turned back to her with wide eyes.

"Nami…what the hell was that for?" I ask. All of my complaints, however, were interrupted by Beckman banging his fist on his desk.

"All of you are excused" he announces loudly. At his command, all of the students around the area stand up and prepare to leave the room. This confuses me greatly and I scan the area in confusion. Nervously, I reach down towards my school bag, which was still under my desk.

"LUFFY! YOU ARE NOT LEAVING!" Beckman yells, shocking me and causing me to sit down back into my own chair. I glance around in confusion and I realise that as they leave, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Zoro, Chopper, Robin, Vivi and Kaya all look over to me, their eyes full of misunderstanding and confusion. What hurts the most though, is the way that Nami stares at me. It looks like she's going to cry any second. I'm not sure if she's happy to see me or disappointed. After everyone had left the room, Beckman looks up at me with a cold stare. I'm not sure whether the chills down my spine are from the ice pack or from how scared I am by Beckman's glare.

Beckman heaves himself off of his chair and walks towards me, his footsteps slow and heavy with each footstep being as loud to me as an angry explosion. I can't look up as Beckman's footsteps stopped in front of me. I can tell that he standing in front of me, his eyes drilling into the back of my skull.

"Beckman…"  
"Don't even bother Luffy" I look upwards at Beckman's cold words and I see that the older man's eyes are now full of sadness. His expression is morbid and the frown that graces his features is something I can't stand the sight of. "Do you know how long you were gone for?" I shake my head "Do you know how long you were gone for?" I shake my head "It's ten to three right now" My eyes widen significantly. I'd been gone…that long?

"…Oh…" I reply sinking back into my chair, looking away from Beckman's gaze. He notices my shock and sighs.

"Listen…Luffy…" Beckman begins, his head looking towards the desk "I know that things can be hard for teenagers at your age…but you're going to have to meet me halfway here. You are the only student this year who has had this many frequent absences and despite all of that, despite claiming you'll try better to get to class on time, you never do...I…I'm not sure how much more I can try to get you to understand Luffy. You've already missed over…20 classes overall in these two weeks you've been in school. You're incredibly low attendance and your bad test scores mean that a lot of the parent/teacher association want you out of the school" My eyes widen once more and Beckman nods, as if to confirm my fears "They think that you're interfering with the potential that a lot of the other students have for learning and because of that, they want you out"

After that shocking announcement, Beckman fell silent. The whole room is still, with nothing but the shrill call of the end of school bell. It's echoing out through the room and I'm sure that the sound of the bell ringing is calling out with its sad little cry throughout the whole school. Everywhere else in the building, all of the students are packing up their work supplies into their bags and getting ready to head off home. I can hear the sounds of doors opening, the sound of talking, the sound of lockers opening and closing and, most notably, the sound of footsteps exiting the corridor. I can hear these sounds but I'm not listening. I'm focusing with all my might on the floor. I feel…so useless. Why…why can't I do anything right? I try and be a superhero and I get beaten by my first super villain AND I get in trouble at school for doing it. How the hell can I win the game when all of the moves I can make break the rules? I feel like screaming right now…but then I snap back into focus when Beckman starts talking once more.

"Luffy…I'll give you one more chance…just ONE more chance though…" At the sound of this, my ears perk up and I look into Beckman's eyes. There appears to be one more spark of hope in those eyes and I can't help but smile at it.

"…What can I do?..." I ask.

"…I was going to tell you this anyway after this lesson today…but you weren't hear again, so I might as well tell you that tomorrow, I'm going to have a test in class. I warned everyone about it so they can revise for tomorrow. Luffy, I not only want you to revise for this test…I want you to PASS this test!" My mouth widened at Beckman's proposition.

"Becky…I mean, Mr. Beckman…isn't it a little early in the year for a test?" I ask, nervously shaking. Beckman twitches at my slight slip of tongue but ignores it and looks towards me with a curious gaze.

"Well, it's an end of unit test and I've already finished our first biology unit, so you're going to have to revise ALL of that in preparation for the test. If you can pass the test, it'll raise your grades just enough to stay in school for now…if not, then I can't help you anymore. You'll be expelled for sure. DON'T WORRY!" Beckman suddenly yells, interrupting my complaint before I could voice it "You see, I've already taken the liberty of getting all the notes for you, seeing as you weren't here to take them yourself…and you're going to start your revising right here…and right now" I looked upwards as Beckman placed a large folder of papers before me.

"Welcome to detention Luffy. You're staying back for 2 hours now so that I can be SURE that you're going to revise…consider this a repayment for you being late for my lessons all the time" For a moment, I can't reply. I'm completely shocked by everything that Beckman had suggested. How long was I going to stay in detention? What would I do if I got expelled? I love my friends and I didn't want to leave them all of because of some stupid punishment. Eventually, after a long time to think, I turn towards Beckman and nod.

"…Okay…" I agree "I'll…I'll do it!" Beckman smiles at my determination and then walks away towards the front of the class. With a sigh and a groan, I turn to my right to see the small pile of papers Beckman has placed on my desk. Without a word, I begin to read the notes supplied to me. With each passing word, I could feel my brain swelling with a sort of joy, as if it was finally glad I was focusing on the important things again…unfortunately, my mind couldn't help but wander back to what had happened to me on the rooftop with Predator.

I had lost…

…what was I going to do next?

I sighed at the depressing question and once more, began to read the notes on the table

"_Evolution often is confused for a similar term called 'Adaption'. Adaption is a process which makes an animal better suited to their habitat. Adaption's can be the products of the environment that an animal lives in and also of the predators which prey on them…"_

* * *

_**Lucci P.O.V**_

"Is he dead?" That was the question I didn't even have to consider to answer.

"Yes Mr. Zero. He took the bait and then, I put the poor little kid out of his misery" Mr Zero is merely a silhouette on a television screen but even I can tell his eyebrow has risen at my statement.

"Your proof?" he asks once more, his glassy eyes watching me with interest.

"I levelled half the floor of a building and I brought the wall down on his broken corpse. There wouldn't be anything much left after all that, don't you think Mr Zero?" I argue, adding with a smile on my lips "and if I hadn't have broken his body, I'm pretty sure his will to fight would be dead by now anyone. Whether its bones or spirit, the kid is out of your hair for good" There is a small pause, until Mr. Zero nods at me.

"Very well" he murmurs "Spandam, get Mr. Lucci the money he was promised…" the purple haired weakling nearby me nods in reply and pulls out a briefcase, hidden underneath the table. Spandam flicks the suitcase across the table and smiles at me as I grab it with one hand.

"You're not going to open it?" he asks as I turn to leave.

"I trust you Mr. Zero…you won't betray your word...or else, everyone finds out whom exactly you are Zero…" Mr Zero shudders slightly at my words but remains calm.

"And if you reveal my identity anyway?" he asks.

"Well…I guess you'll just have to trust me like I do you" I reply as I continue to approach the door.

"What if I have another job for you?"

I stop with my hand on the door handle.

"Go on…" I mutter

"Tonight, as I'm sure you are aware, there is a party being held by a rather rich associate of mine, one Donquixote Doflamingo, a man who is, quite literally worth his weight in gold. Whilst the man himself is worth millions, I am most interested with his 'collections'. Doflamingo possesses a vast quantity of Art and many other valuable treasures…so I'd like to make a deal with you...I was planning on having my men steal the artefacts whilst the party is in full swing...but I believe I may just need a distraction…" I felt a small smirk grace my lips.

"So…you wish for me to act as some sort of decoy? Take the guests hostage and by enough time for your guys to steal the goods?"

"I knew you were smart Mr. Lucci and this has proved me correct" I nod calmly and turn to look at the television screen.

"…if I'm to take this job, I want four guards at the party to help keep control of the hostages and at least a tenth of the profits. I'm a reasonable man you see Mr. Zero but even I…am not stupid…" Mr Zero chuckles slightly at my proposal.

"It shall be done"

"Good" I reply, leaving the room a lot happier and richer than I had entered it.

I'm not going to lie.

I'm looking forward to tonight.

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

"_Again Luffy? What the hell's got into you lately?" _a voice calls from my mobile. I sigh loudly.

"I know Ace...how's Makino doing?" I ask, slightly worried about how my mother figure is taking the news to my recent 'problems'.

"_Well, to be honest bro, she's more pissed than a pirate who can't swim…"_

"Pretty bad then" I felt the all too common sigh leave my lips but shook my head roughly.

"_Yeah"_ Ace replies from the other side of the connection _"I suggest you don't come home yet bro. Give Makino some space and some time to cool down first. You're gonna get an earful when you get home…but as long as you turn this around…"  
_"Ace, I will! I promise…things are just getting in the way recently" I tried to complain.

"_I know Bro. You're a teenager. You're changing and growing up. I went exactly through the same thing when I was your age…" _I couldn't help but smile at that _"point is Luffy, you need to get focused on the things that are truly important right now, and that's your exams. Got it?"_ I nod.

"…_I said Got it?" _Ace repeats.

"Yeah, I know. I nodded"

"…_Bro, we're on the phone. You know I can't see you right?"_

"Whatever" I mumble, fighting off an embarrassed blush on my cheeks "Look, do you need something?"

"_I'm good. I'm just making sure you are"_

"I'm fine…well, I'm getting there anyway"

"_I'm sure you are Bro. Bye"_

"Yeah, see ya later Ace"

"_If you can't tell I'm waving at the phone"_

"Let the damn nodding thing go Ace" I shouted in reply. I could hear his laughter echoing from the other end of the line, before the inevitable click separated us once more. I sighed loudly, banging my head backwards against the wood of the wall.

I wasn't happy.

I just didn't know what to do. There was the exam tomorrow but I had definitely revised enough for that during my detention with Mr. Beckman. My problem was what Beckman had told me. The student teacher association wanted me gone. I wasn't going to give up without a fight…

I was going to fight back the only way Beckman had told me I could.

I had to stop trying to be a superhero during the day and I had to get my attendance and exam results up…

And then I guess I have to spot those flying pigs from the magical land of pixies whilst I'm at it…

How the heck was I supposed to choose between helping others and staying in school? Sabo had always told me that I should always aim to do the greater good, but how could I do that if it involved me skipping out on school, something that I need to stay in if I want to succeed in my future life? Why weren't things as black and white as they were before? As I wondered these questions, my eyes scanned the small wooden shack I was sitting in. Ten years ago, in the summer, Sabo and Ace brought me to a park a little bit away from the school with Makino and Shanks. Together, the five of us managed to build a tree house up here at the edge of one of the parks. It's completely hidden from most angles, so only those who know where the house is will be able to find it. Ever since that day, I've always come here when I have to think about things. It's peaceful up here and nothing but a small breeze can enter the wooden structure. With the quiet breeze floating through the branches, I start to think about everything that's happened. I need to stay at school…but I want to try and help people as the Scarlet Wind...

Then again, I did get beaten by my first ever super villain…

Maybe that's a sign that this whole super hero thing just isn't working. Maybe…maybe I've gone as far as I can go as a hero…

I've saved lots of people…but have I finally reached by limit?

And besides, look at all the bad things that have happened ever since I had the bright idea of putting on this costume?

I've confused and alienated my friends…

I've been ignoring my school work and that means I'm getting expelled

And worst of all, I've got everyone worried about me…

I look down at the phone in my hand and flick through the messages I had missed during my time as the Scarlet Wind.

Over 20 missed calls and 36 texts of concern…

Most of which, I've realised, are from Nami…

That may explain the slap to the face when I went in the room.

She was thinking the worst of me all because I left my phone in my school uniform.

Maybe…maybe if I can't handle both of the things I'm trying to do, I should just fall back on my school work and give up all these hopes of being a hero?

I don't want to…but if Scarlet and Luffy can't live at the same time, then one of them has to die and Scarlet's the kinda guy who'd sacrifice himself for the greater good…

I suppose if all else fails, my adventures as a superhero have come to an unexpected and shocking stop.

All of a sudden, I jump as my phone buzzes. I look down at the mobile and click to open the message.

_Any room up there for 1 more? __N xx_

My eyes widen and I look over the edge of the treetop. At the base of the tree stands an orange haired woman, still in her school uniform. Her brown eyes seem relived to see me up there. I don't speak to her. I don't really think I need to. I just smile and shimmy over to one side. Nami smiles softly and climbs upwards along a make shift ladder that was attached to the tree. She heaves herself into the tree house and I grab her hand to support her. Eventually, she manages to get into a sitting position beside me.

"Thanks" she whispers quietly. I grin at her and chuckle happily. After that, we just read adjust ourselves to stare out of the window on the other wall of the tree house. I love moments like this. When it's just me and a good friend relaxing in the setting sun and I'm pretty sure I couldn't wish for a better friend than Nami. I turn slightly to look at her, grinning happily. Her eyes are shining a bright golden in the fading sunlight. Her soft beautiful orange hair shimmered like a bright flame. I froze in place, my mouth opening slightly to gawp at the sight. Since when did Nami look so…so…different?

I was sure she was the same as usual but…then why was my heart pounding against my chest like a prisoner trying to escape from its chains.

"Luffy…" Immediately, I snap out of my trance and turn away, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks…and I think somewhere else too…

Nami hasn't seen me staring at her but she turns to me regardless.

"Where were you all day?" she asks, curiosity obviously covering her features. For a moment, I struggle to reply. What exactly can I say? I'm the city's superhero and I was fighting crime only to get beaten by a leopard man? I doubted she would believe me otherwise.

"Well…" I mumble, thinking of an excuse "I was just…doing something important…"

"Were you visiting Sabo's grave?" Nami asks.

"What? N…yeah, yeah that's where I was" I quickly correct myself, thanking the heavens that Nami had given me a good excuse for my behaviour "It's just that, I want to see him for a bit every day…but I was tired today and I kinda fell asleep for a bit, so I had to book it back to school as fast as I could" I hated lying to her…but I really didn't want her to know the truth. In fact, when Nami smiles sympathetically at me, I can feel my heart hitting itself once more against my ribcage, showing it's disapproval of my actions.

"Luffy…you need to make room for school work as well…" she says to me, nudging my shoulder gently. I hold in a scream of pain as she does so and gently move my hand to my arm. Damn that predator. I knew I'd feel that later.

"I know" I reply to Nami, as the room once again turns to silence. For a long while, we don't talk…but when we do, I'm the first to speak.

"Nami…let's say that you were in my shoes. You've got school…but you also want to 'visit Sabo's grave' and it's really important to you. What would you do?" I ask, turning to her with a hopeful smile. If anyone could help me, it was Nami. She always knew what to do when I was unsure. Nami smiled at me as I said this and she gave it a quick moment of thought before replying.

"…Have you tried balancing the two things you want to do together? The city won't burn to the ground if you stay in school you know?" she said calmly. I hold in a laugh at the irony but consider the option.

"Balance it how?" I ask, intrigued by this new opportunity I had never thought of.

"Well…how about you stay in school and you go visit Sabo on your breaks or at lunch time? And there's also after school as a time slot where you can go see him as well" I nod listening to Nami's advice, but never the less, I'm doubtful.

"But being…I mean, visiting Sabo always distracts me from school work and…it's made you guys sad. Maybe I should just give it up?"

"You won't" she replies firmly. I look at her with a perplexed expression on my face.

"How do you know that?" I ask

"Because I know you Luffy…you never give up. If there's a way to do something that you want to do, you'll find it…it might take a while but if you focus Luffy, I know that you can work something out…" I find myself unable to speak at Nami's remark.

No…I'm not going to give up on being Scarlet…

Scarlet won't give up on me so neither will I…

So what if I lost once against my first super villain? As long as I don't give up, I'll get him one day...

I can't just dismiss the thought with an 'I can't do it'…

_Can't is not a word I have in my vocabulary…_

"Look" Nami says, interrupting my thoughts "I have to go back home and see Bellemere before she goes off tonight. She's acting as security for this big fancy party and I promised to be home to see her off…but if you need me for anything Luffy, you've got my number…" and with that, Nami shuffled towards the step ladder. Without a word, I offer her a hand, helping to lower her down onto the floor. She smiles up at me one last time and with that, she begins to walk away.

"Hey Nami"

As I call her name, she stops and looks back over to me.

"Thanks…for everything"

Nami smiles widely at my gratitude and turns to walk away.

"My pleasure bonehead" she calls back "Don't you ever slip up again!"  
"Yes mam!" I reply loudly, grinning widely with determination.

I won't Nami. I won't ever give up.

Balance…like you said, I need to balance my life…

Only do the hero thing when I can and not whenever I feel like it.

I need to be responsible and I need to be able to control the situation I'm in…

And like you said, if I put my mind to that, I can do it…

And I will…

I really am stupid sometimes if I can't see that I shouldn't give up being the Scarlet Wind. Think of all the people I've helped with my powers. Think of all the lives I've saved and all the criminal's I've caught.

I shouldn't have to choose between Scarlet and Luffy.

After all, I am both and they're parts of my life I don't want to give up.

Wearily, my eyes travel downwards towards the watch on my phone. It's currently seven o'clock. Makino's still gonna be mad at me…so I guess I'll have to take the long way home. Plus, I'm kinda hungry. I think I'll go stop for a take away or something then make my way back home. It should be about half past eight when I start heading back so I think I'm a-okay. Calmly, I pull out the pain killers from Bellemere and plop another one into my mouth, swallowing it whole. The taste is sorta bitter but a spoon full of sugar does help the medicine go down. With that done, I slowly descend the ladder and make my way off towards the nearest fast-food place. After I've eaten and patched things up with Makino, I'll go back on patrol again for a bit. After all, I'm not letting that Predator guy beat me into the ground and then get to walk away free of charge, now am I?

* * *

_**Bellemere P.O.V**_

As much as I hate to admit it, undercover security is so boring. All I've been doing for the past hour is just standing around watching all of these rich types talk about how good they think they are. I knew I should have taken up Nojiko's offer of a horror movie festival tonight. Alas, I was the only police captain available so I have to stay here and keep everyone safe.

"_All clear on the west side_" I hear a murmur through the radio hooked up to my ear. I tag the ear piece and speak quietly back.

"Good work Johnson, see if you can meet up with Francis on the first floor. I haven't heard much from him all night. Go in armed but don't be too itchy with the trigger finger" I instruct quietly.

"_Got it captain_" the voice replies on the other side of the line and the radio goes dead. As I remove my finger from my ear, a loud and obnoxious voice calls my name.

"BELLEMERE BABY! IS THAT YOU?" Recognising the voice, I shudder angrily and turn around to notice a slightly overweight man with long yellow hair in a black tuxedo approaching me. Oh great, it's him.

"Shiki" I mumble, trying to ignore the man with all my ability. Unfortunately, the man places his arm over my shoulder and laughs loudly.

"JI HAHAHAHA! How long has it been? 2 years? 3 years? We must catch up more. How are you? How's the two girls, Kami and Bojiku? Are you still on the force?" At the last question, I stamp my foot hard down on his and Shiki winces slightly.

"As an answer to your questions, it's been a month, I'm fine until you showed up, my daughters names are Nami and Nojiko and they are just fine" Then, after I had said that, I lean in closer to Shiki and whisper in his ear "and if you EVER call me baby again, or try to blow my cover then I'll make you wish you were never born!" Shiki laughed at this and patted my shoulder as if I hadn't ever mentioned any of the things I had said.

"One month? Doesn't time fly! So you're working undercover here are you? Guess that answers why you're here…so if you're in the force, you must have heard about the latest news?" I cock my eyebrow as I pretend that I don't know what he's going to say next. Shiki smiles with a cackle and then using his hands, he gestures around, as if a title was appearing in his hands.

"Tomorrow's headlines my dear, 'Scarlet Wind defeated! Menace eliminated!" he announces, dancing in place happily. I cock my eyebrow once more, this time at Shiki's attitude.

"What is it with you and Scarlet?" I ask curiously. Shiki shrugs, removing the cigar he was chomping from his mouth and blowing out a smoke ring.

"Nothing personal doll, it's just that that super menace sells papers by the bucket load! The Grand Line times has already predicted the red boy's fall from power, and now it's come true! Think of the support the paper will get for this latest incident!" he says, grinning as he places the cigar once more into his mouth.

I roll my eyes and Shiki continues ranting about his paper and how Scarlet's 'a menace to society'. To distract myself, I tap my fingers against my ear piece, hoping to get some news back from Johnson. There's no reply. That's strange…

"I'll talk to you later Shiki" I mutter, heading over towards the elevator. Of course, the pompous oath tries to stop me.

"Hey, where you going? What's wrong?" he continues to ask.

"I've got a bad feeling" I inform him, pressing the button to the elevator. Immediately, I hear a loud 'ping' and the doors open wide…to reveal none other than four armed guards and a man in a top hat and a tuxedo. The armed guards are wearing black helmets and armed with bullet proof armour and a large machine gun each. The man in the middle with the tuxedo smiles, stepping forward first into the room. Before I can act, one of the guards has already restrained me and removed the pistol from my pocket, whilst the other has Shiki (who is currently demanding his lawyer). Without a word to anyone, the man in the top hat pulls out a small pill from tuxedo pocket and places it into his mouth, swallowing it whole. To the shock and surprise of Shiki and me, as well as the other guests who are only now just noticing the intruders, the man begins to shake violently and almost like magic, he is suddenly replaced by an extremely large leopard man. The beast smiled at the terrified and crowd of guests and announces with a loud growl

"EVERYONE GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR! YOU ARE NOW OUR HOSTAGES!" The guests all start to scream at first but are soon calmed down by the two guards walking into the room and threatening them all with their machine guns. Slowly, one by one, all of the guests fall to their knees. The guards restraining me and Shiki push us into the crowd of people and, with no option, I fall down on the floor like everyone else.

"Now…" the leopard roars, a smile on his lips at his new prisoners "Where is Donquixote Doflamingo?"

* * *

_**To be concluded in Chapter 1: Predators Act 4**_

"_Alright Predator" I announce loudly, looking down at the leopard man with a smirk "time to become the prey" The large cat laughed at my words and gestured with one of his claws in a beckoning motion._

"_We'll see runt…and this time when I kill you, you'll stay dead…"_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I love my cliff-hangers**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	5. Chapter 1: Predators Act 4

_**Hello everybody and welcome TO THE REMATCH OF THE CENTURY!**_

_**Without further ado, let's get the story underway.**_

_**Also, on a related note, I would like to inform you all of a story being written by PolarFanfiction called 'The Winds Of Karma', which is actually a prequel to Scarlet Wind that he wanted to write. Of course, because I'm a nice guy (and because Polar has given me loads of advice on what to put in this story), I allowed him to write the prequel. I urge all of you to give it a read and review it, if you haven't already and I hope you enjoy it and this latest chapter.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Predators Act 4**_

_**Nami P.O.V**_

"I told you that he was the killer…" I say shaking my head at Nojiko, who's still staring at the screen in shock.  
"Well how was I supposed to know? I thought the cute ones were always good guys" she replied, eying up the actor as he appeared on screen once more, this time in handcuffs. I shook my head once more.

"Listen to yourself. What would Ace say if he heard you talking about that guy like that?"  
"He'd probably agree" Nojiko argues with a wink. I roll my eyes and reach for the TV remote.

"Don't you have better things to do than watch horror movies all night?" I ask.

"IS there anything better?" Nojiko asks in reply. I ignore her question and tap one of the buttons on the remote. Immediately, the TV channel changes from the DVD to a news channel. As this happens Nojiko playfully grabs my leg, as if pleading to me to change it back…

And SHE'S the oldest…

I sigh at her antics and I look towards the screen. It was showing a news report about a scuffle today downtown between our resident super hero, Scarlet Wind, and some sort of super villain. Bellemere was there. I know she was but she didn't say anything…

In my distracted state, I end up looking towards the picture of Scarlet Wind on the screen. His raven hair was standing on end in the wind and the straw-hat on his head was barely clinging there to be honest. His eyes were obscured by that black mask of his. He looks so…

"Nami" Immediately, I turn around to see Nojiko staring at me.

"What?" I ask, nervous at her focused stare.

"Nothing" she replies with a sly smile "it's just that you seemed VERY interested in our city's latest 'law enforcer'" As if to add some context to the sentence, Nojiko returned to her usual place on the sofa, lying down on her front with her hands cupping her chin as she added "Hmmm, he does look cute though…" I shake my head at my sister's antics and head towards the kitchen, in search of some food. Both I and Nojiko haven't had any dinner yet, so I'll have to try and find something we can both eat. Our kitchen is quite small and a lot of the cupboards are bare, seeing as we'll be going shopping for food tomorrow. Luckily, I do find some possible dinner in the form of a large pizza topped with mozzarella and pepperoni.

"Hey Nojiko, you want some pizza?" I shout to the front room.

"Yeah, go on then. Nami, can you turn up the TV a bit?" she calls. Carefully, I take the pizza out of the box and place it onto a baking tray.

"You have a pair of arms don't you?" I ask with a smile.

"Yeah, but what I don't have is the remote!" she replies. I turn the dial on the oven, waiting for it to preheat and sigh. I flick my right arm back, tapping the + volume button for a bit until I was sure Nojiko's horrible ears (and probably anyone who was present outside out house) could hear it. With that done, I strolled back into the living room and sat down on a chair, waiting for the oven to finish heating up. It was at that moment, when there was a knock at the door. Both I and Nojiko looked upwards towards the door and then, exchanged confused glances.

"You expecting anyone?" she asked. I shook my head. Nojiko sighed at this and calmly pointed towards the door.

"Me?" I asked, realising what she was hinting at "why aren't you going to go answer it?"

"Duh" Nojiko replies, pointing down at her attire, which at the moment, was nothing more than a pair of blue pyjamas in a purple dressing gown. I sighed reluctantly and looked down at my own clothes, consisting of the dark red school blazer, a white shirt and a black skirt. I sighed loudly and muttered a 'fine' as a stood up. Slowly, I walked towards the door to the small entrance hall. As the door opened, however, the TV caught my attention once more.

"Breaking News!" the news reporter yelled from the screen "we have just been informed of a hostage situation that is occurring at the estate of Donquixote Doflamingo. Police are currently surrounding the building but the kidnappers have not yet issued their demands. We have news that among the captives is Police Captain Bellemere and business man and owner of the Grand Line times, Shiki…" My eyes widened and almost immediately, I was back in the front room with Nojiko, though this time, we were both staring at the TV in shock.

"Mum…" we both whispered with fear.

"What are we gonna do?" I asked, feeling a twinge of sadness in the back of my mind.

"Don't worry" Nojiko reassures me "There's nothing we can do…except hope she comes out of there alright and, knowing mum, she will…" After a pause, I nodded.

"You're right Nojiko…this is her we're talking about after all and she's been in worse spots that this"

"That's the spirit" Nojiko comments with an encouraging smile "get the door and see who it is and I'll keep watching the channel to see if we get any news" I nod gently at Nojiko's request and quickly walk to the door. As I move to the door, I hear the sound of movement, as if someone was once outside but suddenly, without reason, had decided to run away. I open the front door…but no-one's there. The street is empty and it doesn't seem like anyone was here to begin with. I shrug and I turn to head inside…when I spot something on the floor. Slowly, I crouch down and pick up what's there with a loud gasp. A small bouquet of flowers? What are they doing here? With an incredible curiosity, I reach into the bouquet and withdraw a small card from within the tiny group of plants.

"_Thanks for getting me back up on my feet"_ the card reads. I feel a small smile come to my lips and without taking my eyes off the card, I step back inside the house.

"What's wrong Nami?" Nojiko asks as I walk in "wow, they're beautiful. Where'd you get those from?" I smile in reply to her question and shrug.

"Oh…just some secret admirer…"

Secret admirer? I wish…

* * *

_**Beckman P.O.V**_

I'm not usually an angry man. I don't like to be. I think that if there's a conflict that can't be properly solved by words, then it's a conflict that I wouldn't really like to be apart of…but if something's worth fighting for, then I'll fight for it. Despite what anyone else says and anyone else believes, I think that Luffy is defiantly someone worth fighting for. I've known the kid since he was little, being a big friend to the family through his adoptive dad, Shanks. He's been pretty much been my best friend for as long as I can remember, so it's kinda obvious that I'd know a bit about his adoptive son. To be honest, Luffy is a nice kid. Makino and Shanks have raised him well. He's smart and dedicated too…there's just his punctuality that's the problem. Luffy is barely ever on time. At first, seeing as it's the new school year, I thought it was just going to be a one time only thing…then the absences and the lateness became more and more prominent until, finally, it's become a really big problem that needs to be addressed. Luffy's constant absences are getting not only himself in trouble, but also me. So, today, I gave him the ultimatum. I really like Luffy…but right now, he needs to make a choice. He needs to get focused and see that it's important for him to stay focused on school. Luckily, I think I've gotten it into Luffy's head, but you never know. As I carry the collected homework for Biology in my suitcase, I still keep thinking back to Luffy this afternoon. The guy was good at revising. Underneath that incredibly thick exterior, there's a brain…somewhere…but it is there. Luffy CAN think and he CAN learn…he's just never in. If he can pass this test tomorrow and if he can actually start turning up on time, Luffy may actually be a competent student. Right now, however, I'm not too sure whether or not he'll do that. My thoughts stopped for a moment as I slipped my suitcase into the boot of my BMW and carefully closed it shut. What am I doing? I'm a teacher. Teachers shouldn't play favourites with students…it's not right. I shouldn't be giving Luffy special treatment. With new conviction, I look at myself in the reflection of my rear window and nod. Alright then, Luffy needs to learn to stand on his own and if he doesn't learn to, I can't help him anymore…if he passes on the other hand…

Suddenly, I stop midway in thought as I notice something out of the corner of my eye in the reflection of the window. Despite the dark night sky that encompasses the area in a veil of shadow, I still notice the strange figure atop the school roof, standing silhouetted against the full moon. As I turn to get a better look at this mysterious person, his arm stretches out onto a distant building and he swings away before I can get a better look. Who was that guy?

After a while staring at the roof, I finally decide I'm seeing things and enter my car, shutting the door with a loud bang. Something tells me I'm going to need to lie down.

I've been working too hard.

* * *

_**Lucci P.O.V**_

I just loved this. Everyone in this room is watching us, afraid for their lives. We are the strongest people in the room…and out of all of us, I am the strongest. These powers really seem better and better by the minute. I love the look of fear inside all of those eyes. For once, I'm not the mercenary standing around pointing guns at people. This time, I'm the boss…true I'm a giant freak of nature, but I'm also in charge of this whole operation and I wouldn't give it up. I needed to keep in control of the situation. I was a professional after all, and I've seen this kind of thing done before.

"I'll ask you again" I snarl, causing a woman near to me to whimper into the arms of one of her friends "WHERE IS DONFLAMINGO?"

The reply I receive is silent. Why do they always do it the hard way? I look at one of the mercenaries and point towards the woman crying on the floor.

"Take her…" I mutter and the man does as I ask, pulling out the young woman from the crowd and pulling her onto her feet. With that done, he places the cold end of a pistol to her head, his machine gun now held in a large holster on his back. The woman's screaming stops as I move one of my claws and run it along her cheek slowly, drawing a small drop of blood.

"I'll ask again…" I mumble with an evil grin "TELL ME WHERE DONFLAMINGO IS OR I WILL HAVE HIM BLOW HER HEAD OFF!"

"We don't know!" I heard one of the people in the crowd call out "I haven't seen him all night…" I growled angrily. Either these people were testing my patience or they were telling the truth…either which I am going to make it known that they will not mess with me.

"For the last time..." I yell, rage building in my voice "Where is DONFLAMINGO?"  
"I'm sorry, Donflamingo isn't here right now kitty" a loud voice calls from behind me "please leave your message after the beep..."  
"What the..." I tried to say, before a great force hit my back sending me flying to the floor with an almighty crash.  
"Beep!" the figure calls from behind me, smirking with glee. I whirl around immediately and so did the other mercenaries in the room. In the middle of the room, there's a man crouching on the floor, wearing a red spandex patterned with two black triangular stripes stretching vertically down each side of the man's chest. The man also wore a small black cape around his left hand shoulder. A black figure eight mask is resting over his eyes, whilst a straw-hat was clutching at the man's head with a string tied neatly from the hat under his chin. He's wearing a pair of tight fitting black boots on his feet and a pair of black gloves are being worn on his hands. The same scars were decorating the costume from this morning, exposing parts of a bandaged chest. It couldn't be…yet here he was. I feel my teeth grind with pure anger.

Sorry Mr Zero, I lied…

The Scarlet Wind still lives…

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

That look on Predator's face is priceless. His eyes are wide at the mere sight of me and that large scowl forming on his face shows that I've definitely made my entrance.

"You?" he asks, growling with rage "How are you...how the hell did you get in here?"

"Come on" I reply with a sly grin "you guys are super villains right? Haven't you ever seen any action movies at all? Air vents are a hero's best friend" Predator growls angrily, heaving himself to his feet. For a moment, it looks like he's going to try and pounce at me when, all of a sudden, he stops in his tracks, shaking nervously. Both I and the crowd watch in shock as Predator roars out at the ceiling and then, suddenly, his skin becomes paler, his eyes become less feral and the tail sticking out of his pants retracts. In an instant, Predator is gone and instead, standing in his place is a topless man with a short black beard and a black mullet. His eyes are dark as he looks up at me with a glare. What the hell happened to the giant leopard beast that almost broke me earlier this same day? He's turned completely back to that man who ambushed me earlier. Instead of panicking, however, the mysterious man just points towards me and then yells angrily "SHOOT HIM NOW!" At his command, all of the men in the room do just that, firing at me with the machine guns they had stored on their back. The bullets flew past me as I leaped back onto the ceiling, firing out a rubber arm towards a nearby chandelier. Luckily, my hand grabbed it and I was able to pull myself out of the way of the firing range. With that done, I spun around the chandelier and flew back towards one of the guards. I kick the guy hard in ribs and he falls to the floor with a groan. After that, I stretch another arm, punching the guard at the other side of the room and sending him flying to the floor. Of course, more bullets follow that as the remaining two guards, standing behind all of the hostages, start shooting in an attempt to hit me. My rubber legs allow me to spring up for a second and I fly over the hostages to where the guards are, managing to send them both to the floor as I stretch my two rubber arms out to catch them in the stomachs as I land. Finally, the two guards fell to the floor so now; it's just me and the normal looking Predator.

Speaking of Predator, the bearded man once more removes the familiar small yellow pill I remember from our first meeting earlier today and swallows it whole. Almost immediately, his transformation reverses in the blink of an eye and once more, he's the large leopard again.

"And that…" He mutters as the savage smile reappears on his lips "is why you don't send the pawns to do the work of the knight" then, with a loud roar, Predator bounds over from his place towards me and he leaps at me with his claws bared. I vault over him with ease, allowing the leopard to go crashing into one of the columns at the other side of the room. I land down on the floor and then look over towards the now unguarded civilians.

"Get out of here!" I yell to them. Luckily, I recognise Bellemere in the crowd and she stand up and calls to them.

"You heard the man. Let's get out of here! Head for the stairs! Move! Move! Move!" At her command, all of the others in the room do just that, running out of the area as fast as possible. With that done, I turn towards the recovering Predator and…

"WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN TO YOU?" I sigh as I turn around. Shiki. Of course it'd be that guy.

"Oh I'm sorry sir" I mocked with a roll of my eyes "Would you like to remain her as this guy's chew toy?" Immediately, Shiki paled and with a growl, he ran after the escaping hostages.

"Heart of a poet…" I hear a voice shout from my left. I turn to look in the direction of the voice with wide eyes, only to get slashed across the chest, ripping another part of my costume. I groan in pain loudly and quickly, leap over to the other side of the room. Predator is standing right now and, to be honest, he's looking pretty angry.

"How are you still alive?" he asks with a raised brow. I chuckle at the question and smirk at him.

"Well, I guess you weren't as effective as you thought you were at dealing with freaks like me, eh?" Predator grits his teeth at that comment and then, he pounces forward at me with his claws barred. I quickly dodge him with a jump to the left and I fling forward my fist. Luckily, the fist hits Predator straight in the face, sending him once more to the floor…not for long, however, as he quickly spring up back onto his feet with a sneer at me. His eyes are focusing on mine but…he seems…angrier for some reason. Less in control…maybe it has something to do with those pills…pills? Of course!

Those pills!

I dodge another slash as Predator dashes forward.

The pills give him super powers!

Another slash with his claw, this time barely grazing my cheek.

And I've just seen that those powers aren't permanent since he changed back into his usual form a while ago...

Now, he kicks forward with his leg and I block it with my arms as a guard.

Meaning all I have to do is wait and avoid him for me to win this…

It's not a glorious victory…but this guy wiped the floor with me before and I'll take small victories where I can.

With that thought, I finally begin a counter attack, lashing forward with my left and right arm at the same time. The two fists hit Predator square in the stomach and the beast recoils in pain. Now's my chance for a comeback, so I quickly jump up and deliver a successful kick to the leopard's head once more. That's all the leopard needs to recover as immediately after wards, he grabs a hold of my leg and spins me around, flinging me at the wall. I stretch my arm towards Predator quickly and I manage to gain a firm grip on his shoulder. Before I hit the wall, my arm snaps back and I go flying into Predator, head-butting him in the chest and after I step back, kicking him there for good measure. Predator staggers back for a moment and then glares at me with his cold dark eyes.

"You're better than before" he comments, charging forward and slashing at me with another claw "what happened to you?"

"I had a nice sleep after you kicked my ass" I explain, dodging the blow and retaliating by kicking him in the face with my right leg, sending him spinning "Now that I'm all rested up and I've taken some pain killers, I'm ready to beat you this time" Predator cackles at this and cracks his knuckles, slashing out at me once more with a fist. I dodge the fist, but not the set of claws as Predator's left arm sweeps at me from out of nowhere, scratching my right shoulder slightly.

"You sound confident that you're going to win" he says with a laugh "don't be so arrogant. I'm still way out of your league. Look at me! I'm stronger and faster than you" To illustrate his point, he kicks forward with his right leg, sending me flying backwards. Luckily, I recover and clutch the ground, stopping my flight backwards.

"Faster? Well, we'll have to test that…" I yell, stretching my arm backwards to grab hold of the part of the doorway out into the hall. I kick off the floor with a smirk, being pulled backwards into the empty corridor by my elastic arm. Predator growls as I flee and quickly begins bounding towards the door in pursuit.

"What's this? You trying to run away coward?" he taunts as he sprinted after me.

"First off" I bellow, landing in the corridor and stretching my arm to grab hold of a part of the ceiling further down the corridor "I'm not a coward and second, I'm not running away…I prefer to call it a 'tactical retreat'" After all, if I can waste quite a bit of his time, Predator may snap out of his powerful form and turn back into his human form.

"Come on Kitty cat" I shout, spotting Predator run out into the hallway "I'm waiting!" The leopard growls and, with a flash of rage in his eyes, he quickly bounds towards me, leaping from wall to wall as he claws his way forward. In an almost mocking motion, I do the same, using my rubber powers to maintain the same distance between us all the way down the corridor. It's obvious that I'm buying time for myself but as long as I can defeat this guy, I don't care. At the end of the corridor, the hallway turns to the right and I follow it, skidding along the floor in order to come to a stop, before sprinting as quickly as I can down the new path. Predator comes round the corner far more clunky and far faster than I do, crashing his shoulder into the wall. He roars in anger for a moment, kicking at the wall in irritation, before following me down the hall.

"~Aw~" I taunt as I stick out my tongue "~itty witty kitty hurt himself!~" Predator roars louder at this and his speed almost doubles, like he's suddenly in the mind of a lion, chasing its prey. To be honest, that it kind of the situation we're in at the moment after all.

"SHUT UP!" Predator roars as he thunders down the corridor. Unfortunately, before I can dodge out of the way, I'm tackled by the leopard and he continues to run with me in his grasp right to the end of the hallway, right into the wall. I impact the wall with a loud crunch and I scream in pain. Predator laughs at this and quickly, bares his claws.

"I left you for dead once…now, I'm going to make sure you die…" he mutters just loud enough for me to here. Anticipating the pain of the claws sinking into my body, I lash out with a leg, striking Predator right in the knee. Predator growls in pain and then, with rage, flings me to the floor of the hallway. What he doesn't expect is that I land on my feet and immediately, I bounce away from him, launching a fist which hits the leopard once more in the face.

"And you call yourself 'Predator'?" I ask with a laugh "I think a better name for your new identity might be 'butter fingers'!" Predator howls loudly and runs after me down the corridor. As we begin our little chase of cat and mouse once again through the corridor, a thought comes into my mind. I want to get as far away from this guy as possible…but there's no space to do so. I need to get out of this corridor into a more wide-open area…

As I think that thought, I suddenly feel a grip around my shoulder and my eyes widen as I realise that Predator is literally right behind me.

"So you wanna get away from me, do you?" he asks with glee in his voice "Well then, let's see just how fast it takes for you to get away from me…when you're falling out a building!" My eyes widen as Predator gets a grip on my other shoulder, slowing me to a stop and then the large leopard throws me at the window to his right. The window breaks with a loud crashing sound and within seconds, I find myself falling. The cold wind catches me as a go down and I shiver. Recovering slightly from the shards of glass that I'm sure are now caught in my arm, I stretch out an arm and grab hold of a nearby building. In any other circumstances, my arm would be ripped clean off my body right now, but, due to my rubber powers, I instead slow my descent mere inches from the ground, allowing me to land softly. Now with my focus not being on preventing myself from splatting to the floor, I can now take in my surroundings. All around me, there are police cars and police officers everywhere. All of them are looking at me, completely stunned as to how I appeared there. Still a little dizzy from falling I don't know how far along a skyscraper, all I can do is shrug and chuckle.

"Remember boys and girls. Don't try that at home" I say to the watching officers.

"SCARLET!" At the loud yell above me, I raise my head, only to look upwards and pale at the large beast crawling…almost falling at the speed he's going, down the side of the building.

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE ME!" The leopard roars at me.

"Well I can still try right?" I shout up to him with a wink. As Predator descends the wall towards me, I realise that this area isn't the best place for a battle. After all, with the police scattered everywhere around here, there's a big chance Predator may put them in danger.

"Hey come on Predator! I think I've been winning this little game of cat and mouse so far. Try and keep up this time!" I yell, firing off a rubber arm onto the roof of another building and then quickly swinging away. Noticing me retreat, Predator follows me, leaping off of the side of the building and flinging himself onto another rooftop. Miraculously, the leopard is still standing and quickly follows me by leaping along the nearby rooftops.

"DON'T YOU DARE TRY AND ESCAPE FROM ME!" he roars, quickly racing after me. Looking back at him, I smile widely. Okay, now he's following me…all I need to do now is find a deserted area for us to fight in, where we can't hurt anybody fighting. Luckily, as I swing around the corner, I notice just the thing I'm looking for. There's an abandoned construction site nearby. The area is lit brightly from nearby street lights but there are still quite a few areas of the building I can use as a hiding place. With a large smile on my face, I swing down into the yard, dropping into a roll as I land.

As soon as I'm on the ground, I sprint towards the frame work for the building being built and slip into a dark area, shielding myself in the shade of a girder. My ears prick up and I begin to listen carefully to the sounds outside, awaiting the sound of Predator's arrival. The inevitable thump on the concrete I can hear outside reveals his arrival.

"So we're back to running and hiding are we?" Predator calls, stomping forwards through the area. I held a hand to my mouth to stop a witty reply and instead, I slowly sneak along the wall, sidestepping to my left. Luckily, parts of the building's walls have already been made, meaning I don't get spotted as I slowly move from one girder to another. Hearing Predator's footsteps nearby, I quickly but quietly slip from where I'm standing into another part of the building site.

"You do realise you're not fooling me right?" the suave and sinister voice calls out again as I stretch an arm upwards onto another level of the building, carrying me soundlessly up to the next level

"I know you're stalling" the voice continues "you're trying to hide from me in order for my powers to drain out right? That's not going to work…and neither is hiding from me, because I'll let you know one interesting piece of information. This little transformation has heightened my senses to a super human level. All of senses are now amazing. Everything has been affected, my sight, my hearing…" Before I can move any further, a claw bursts out of the concrete floor I'm standing on, grabbing my leg. I swear loudly as I get pulled roughly from the first level of the building down to the ground floor, landing on the pile of rubble that used to be the floor I was standing on.

"I can smell where you are too…" Predator mumbles, his jagged fangs barred as he looks down at me. I groan as I try and lift myself off the floor, unfortunately, Predator tightens his grip on my leg and I end up screaming out loudly, pain flowing from my calf all the way up my body. The pain killers have been doing a pretty good job of numbing all the pain I've been experiencing, but now, I think they've finally stopped working. Without any moment of hesitation, Predator takes advantage of my injured state, throwing me against a nearby concrete wall. I scream again as I make contact with the wall. Unfortunately, Predator isn't done there as once again grabs my leg, throwing me against a girder opposite the wall, grinning as I scream once more.

"What's wrong Scarlet?" Predator mocks with a rather wide smile "not in the mood for any puns now are we? No more wise cracks?" Instead of dignifying that question with a reply, I stretched my arms further backwards through the building site, grabbing hold of one of the girders in the ceiling. Almost immediately, when my arms tried to snap back, I was pulled towards the exit, ignoring the baffled Predator who was being pulled along with me. I delivered a simple kick to the leopard's arm with my free leg and, sure enough, his grip loosened enough for me to slip out of it. Without anything to hold me back, I literally flew out of the building site, landing on the gravel outside. I sigh with content, nursing my leg (and probably my ego as well) with a constant eye focused on Predator. Sure enough, the spotted beast soon emerges from the construct and grins at me.

"You said my stalling tactic isn't going to work?" I ask the creature "why is that?"

"Idiot" Predator responds with a snarl "don't you remember anything? Each pill can keep me going in this form for just over half an hour. So far, you've only wasted about five to seven minutes of my time, ten if you're lucky. My point is that I've still got over twenty minutes to still do whatever I want and do whatever I need to do. I could waste all my time fighting you…or, to ensure you actually fight me, I might just start picking off random civilians one by one" My eyes widen at Predator's words.

"Anything that gets you to fight harder and stop running away, I'll do" the leopard concludes, his eyes wandering towards the street nearby.

"Oh, so you're a coward then?" I ask with a sly smile. Immediately, I notice that Predator's body shudders at this.

"…What did you just say?" the leopard mumbled, his gaze turning to me with an extremely angry gaze.

"You heard me kitty cat" I shout to him with a grin "I'm calling you a scaredy cat. You failed to kill me earlier, so now you doubt you actually have the strength to do that now. You're afraid I'm going to beat you now, aren't you? That you're not strong enough any more, that's what you're scared of right?"

"Listen to me fool!" Predator roars, his rage obviously rising "I AM NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING! ESPECIALLY NOT LITTLE PUNKS LIKE YOU!" I couldn't help shudder at Predator's sudden outburst. Is it just me or…is he slowly losing control of his temper and becoming blinded by rage?...

Wait a second…

THAT'S IT!

I know how I'm going to beat him…

As the large leopard lunges at me, I leap upwards, landing on top of a pile of girders, waiting to be used in the creation of a new building.

"Alright Predator" I announce loudly, looking down at the leopard man with a smirk "time to become the prey" The large cat laughed at my words and gestured with one of his claws in a beckoning motion.

"We'll see runt…and this time when I kill you, you'll stay dead…" he responded with a growl.

In a flash, Predator pounced from his place on the floor towards me. As he did so, I launched my right rubber leg forward. The blow impacted Predator right in the jaw and the leopard flew backwards, colliding to the floor with a loud crunch.

"Wow" I say with a shake of my head "you're really off your game old man" Predator growls in reply and once more charges head first towards me. This time, however, I leap over him, jumping off his back with a powerful kick and sending the leopard crashing into a wall.

"I thought you said you were going to kill me this time. You've got a worse aim than a blind person" I taunt once more with a smile.

"How I can't wait to wipe that stupid cocky smirk off of your face" Predator replies his anger obviously rising, if only slowly. If this plan of mine is going to work, I need to make Predator as mad as possible, in order to make him lose enough focus for me to actually do some damage. Predator scaled up the pile of girders and glared down at me. I could tell he was considering lunging at me again but was also expecting me to move. If one of us was going to make the first move, I guess it has to be me. I launch forward one of my rubber arms, only for Predator to sidestep the blow.

"Is that the best you've got?" he say, showing off his sharp teeth in his grin.

"Not aiming for you!" I reply, allowing my rubber arm to pull me forwards, sending me rocketing at the leopard. Predator seemed stunned by the speed at which I flew up to him and even the kick I deliver to his stomach seems to confuse him quite a lot. He was sent, once again, into the floor.

"Come on Kitty cat" I taunt with a smile "you're REALLY off your game tonight. Is it because you need to go use your litter box?"

"SHUT UP!" Predator roars, rage building in his voice. Before I could react, the leopard immediately starts charging towards me again, slashing at me as if he's gone insane. Each time he slashes forward at me, I easily side step to the left and right, but as the tempo of the slashes increase, I find myself almost getting hurt more and more. Finally, one of Predator's claws scratches my arm and as I scream in pain, Predator takes advantage of my pain by kicking forward with his left leg. The leg hits me in my abdomen and I'm forced to retreat backwards, stretching an arm backwards and using the grip I have on the roof of a building to swing myself away from Predator.

"That's your attempt at beating me?" I ask, faking a grin, despite the pain "I've seen stronger hits from TODDLERS!"

"STOP MOCKING ME!" the leopard howls once more, leaping over at me in an attempt to claw at me once more.

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it" I reply with a grin, swinging away from him once more, this time, heading into the building site once again. The leopard follows me as soon as he lands, bounding over to the structure, trying to sink his claws into me once more. Predator then dashes towards me, slashing at thin air just hoping of a chance of hitting me. Luckily, I manage to dodge Predator's claw as it strikes forward, barely grazing the left side of my stomach. I groan slightly but I also punch forward with my left arm, hitting him in his stomach. After that, I lash out with my right leg as well. The attack collides squarely with the left hand side of the leopard's chest and the beast grunts in pain. After that, I once again leap away from grinning happily.

"Catch me if you can!" I yell to him, stretching my arm backwards and grasping hold of part of the girder leading to the other side of the building site. Once again, Predator lets out a roar and runs after me, an almost animalistic rage building in his eyes. In fact, now that I think about it, it looks like the angrier he gets, the more his transformation into his leopard form seems to intensify. It's almost completely un-noticeable and it's only a subtle thing, such as his fangs becoming sharper and his claws becoming larger, but at this close distance, it's the only thing I can focus on. I guess those super power pills had more of a side effect than I first thought. His anger accelerates the mutation, making his mind that of an animal. This plan of mine is going better than I thought.

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE ME!" Predator bellows as he follows me out of the building site. I let go of the grip I have on the girder as I land on the sand and gravel outside. If Predator's not as focused as I suspect, then this may just work. Slowly, I creep backwards, keeping the large leopard in sight as he approaches me.

"Nowhere to run now runt" he snarls, a small smile coming to his lips. I take another few steps backwards but, suddenly, I'm stopped as I bump into the wall behind me.

"You can't go to the left, you can't go to the right and, even better, you can't jump away like you usually do. You're trapped…and I'm going to enjoy ripping you to shreds" Predator replies as he slowly approaches me, now only being a few steps away. Despite this horrible situation, I, however, smile happily as he moves forward.

"Alright then Butter fingers, just try it" I reply. Almost as soon as the words 'Butter fingers' leaves my lips, I notice the large leopard's eyes flare with rage. He roars loudly and then charges the gap in between us, his claws out stretched, ready to slash at my head…

I can't go up…

I can't go left…

I can't go right…

I'm still smiling however.

As Predator's claws near my face, I duck down onto the floor in a crouch position.

Kitty cat has just made the greatest mistake of his life…

I hear the satisfying 'slink' sound as Predator's claws sink into the white fuse box that was behind my head. The second his claws make contact with the inner wiring of the fuse box, the large beast howls out in pain, screaming in pure agony as the voltage that was once inside the circuit comes literally pouring out into Predator's body. I can almost feel the heat of the electricity burning the back of my neck as it flows through the leopard's arm. Straight away, Predator pulls back his arm from the fuse box, obviously injured from the encounter.

I'm not letting him get away that easily.

"_Luffy, stand up"_

As Sabo's voice rings out in my mind, I curl by right arm around onto itself, creating a spiral and obey the command given to me. As I leap up off the floor, I fling a mighty uppercut straight at Predator's jaw. It hits Predator and sends him flying into the air. Before he can hit the floor, I dash under the flying body and grab hold of Predator's tail in my hands. I pull down on the tail and then start to spin round on my heel, dragging Predator in a circle. As I spin round, I go faster and faster until finally, my muscles tense and with as much strength as I can muster, I throw Predator forwards, into the structure of girders and concrete of the building site. I must have thrown Predator a lot harder than I thought as when Predator collides with the girder, I hear a loud clanging sound and with a loud creaking noise, the girder which he's crashed into collapses down on top of him, followed by another two girders and shattered pieces of concrete. My eyes widen as I take in what's happened and, without any hesitation, I dash towards the rubble covering Predator. He may have left me for dead but I wasn't going to do the same to him. I wasn't going to kill anyone. I'd already promised Sabo that. As soon as I reach the rubble, I get to work. I plant both of my hands under the main girder and I take a deep breath. From there, I slowly try and lift the large pole of steel off of Predator's body. I heave and groan as I attempt to raise the girder but it is extremely heavy. I doubt I've lifted anything heavier in my life…but I can't fail...I won't let someone die because of me. I scream out as I lift the piece of metal, using all the strength I can muster to raise the girder off of the man who had once buried me under a similar pile of rubble. Finally, with a great strain on my body and my costume (which actually tears under the pressure), I manage to lift the heavy girder off of Predator's body and roughly fling it to the side. It looks as though Predator's leopard form must have protected him from the rubble that fell on top of him, as despite having reverted to his human form, he looks relatively unhurt…for someone who'd just had a giant girder fall on top of him. Slowly, I pull Predator's human body out of the rubble and I kneel down next to the body and quickly inspect Predator's pulse, as I rest my head against the man's chest. Miraculously, I can hear the soft beating of a heart on Predator's chest; however, the heartbeat is extremely faint and Predator's breathing sounds irregular. I swear under my breath and gently pick up Predator, carrying him over my shoulder. Predator was barely alive right now, so I needed to get him to a hospital as soon as possible. Now that I think about it, there was an ambulance outside back at Donflamingo's party. That's pretty near here so I need to head there to get Predator's condition stabilised. As I stretch my arm upwards to grab hold of a nearby building, I suddenly realise that I've actually no idea what Predator's real name is. I definitely need to find out who this guy is when I can.

* * *

In just a few minutes, I'm back in front of the building where Donflamingo's party was held and the police and medics in the area are tending to quite a few of the hostages. I land on the street, stretching my arm in order to slow my descent and gently land on the floor.

"This man needs a doctor!" I yell out, attracting the attentions of one of the medics. One of them turns round to me and almost immediately I recognise him. He's an old man wearing a top-hat and a long black coat. His white hair stuck out of his hat in an odd way, as if it was trying to leap off his head but was obviously failing. I feel a small smile come to my lips as he approaches. Of course, whenever anyone's in trouble, Dr. Hiriluk will always be on the scene.

"Let me have a look at him, I'm a doctor!" Hiriluk announces. I give him a nod but as the quack doctor takes the man into his own arms and quickly dashes to the ambulance, I yell after him

"Be careful! He's a dangerous criminal!" Hiriluk looks back at me and nods before placing Predator on a stretcher in the ambulance and getting to work. Hiriluk is Chopper's dad…well, adoptive dad, but it still doesn't make them any less family. He's a nice guy and his heart's in the right place…though even I can admit his procedures are a little…extreme…

"SOMEONE FETCH ME A PLUNGER!"

Yeah…kinda a little extreme…

"Looks you've had one hell of a night Scarlet" I hear a voice call. I smile wider as I turn to my left only to see Bellemere grinning at me.

"You could say that" I reply, rubbing my sore arms "Did everyone get out safely?" Bellemere nodded and then her gaze turned towards Predator (and Hiriluk, who was now being pulled away from the scene by other paramedics).

"What exactly happened?" she asked, turning her gaze once more to me.

"He just had the shock of his life" I mumble with a sly smile "do you have any idea what his real name?" Bellemere shook her head.

"I've no idea. I'll do some research about his identity and get back to you on it. In the meantime, you young man need to get some rest" I sighed at Bellemere's concern, yet still looked back up at Bellemere with a smile.

"I know…" I mumble happily "I'm working on that…I think I need to get my life in check first"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bellemere asks giving me a soft smile. Despite how happy I was that Bellemere was taking an interest in me, I waved off the offer with a thank you.

"I need to do this on my own...I'll probably be back to normal in no time" I reply with a grin. Bellemere nods in understanding.

"You've done good work tonight Scarlet" she says "Apprehending four highly trained mercenaries AND taking down some sort of mutant super villain. You sure know how to bounce back after a defeat, don't you?" I shrug in reply, winking at her happily.

"What can I say? Rubber always bounces back…I don't think I'd have got as far as I did in this fight without your help though" I admit "those pain pills you gave me really did wonders"

"I recommend you should still go see a doctor though" Bellemere advises me with a stern gaze. I laugh at that, looking over to Hiriluk.

"No thanks" I reply with a grin "I don't feel like dying yet" Bellemere chuckles and slowly turns around on her heel.

"You better get out of here as fast as you can" She reveals "I hear Garp is on his way and not only that, but…" All of a sudden, Bellemere's interrupted in mid sentence by none other than Shiki, who pushes past her.

"YOU!" the blonde haired man yells at me "HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE HERE YOU ELASTIC MENACE!" I chuckle quietly. I guess that's the second thing Bellemere tried to warn me about.

"Actually I'm not showing my face" I reply with a smirk "that's the point of the mask ~Duh! ~" Shiki grumbles to himself for a second and then immediately responds with a loud yell.

"YOU FIEND! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS!"

"Fiend?" I ask in reply, stretching my arm upwards onto a nearby rooftop "Menace, maybe, but FIEND? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!" And with that, I use my elastic arm to pull myself upwards onto the roof of the building.

"By the way Goldilocks" I call down to him "Love the paper. Always a laugh!" After that, I launch my rubber arm onto another roof and rocket over there with a smile on my face, still imagining Shiki cursing at me back at the scene of the crime.

* * *

I've never felt more worn out when I finally return home. It's really late and I can tell it's late by the large pale moon floating high in the sky. The night is cold but luckily, not too cold that it's unbearable as I'm able to change back into normal clothes a few blocks away from the house. Now, back in my usual school uniform of a white shirt, a red tie hanging loosely around my neck and black trousers around my waist, I can enter the house without any suspicion. Sniffing my damaged suit as well, I think I'll definitely need a shower…or maybe two seeing for how much I sink of sweat and blood after all I've been through. I honestly don't know how any of the people that have got close me to me today haven't just fainted from the smell. Silently, keeping these plans of a shower scaled back until morning, I make my way through the back garden. The moonlight glistens in the small pond there and I'm pretty sure the gnomes are staring at me as if trying to say 'and what time do you call this'. Ignoring their gaze and the gentle crunch my footsteps make on the grass, I finally reach the back door with both my school bag and the bag containing my costume wrapped around my shoulder. Carefully, I pluck out the backdoor key from a nearby hanging basket of flowers, trying not to damage any of them, knowing how much Makino dislikes it when Ace or I mess with the garden's decorations. I gently insert the key into the back door and as I turned it in the lock, I twitched as the lock clicked, to signal that the door was open now. Slowly, I opened the door, allowing me to step into the kitchen. So far so good…

"Where were you?"

And I'm busted…

As I turn around after closing the door, I see Makino sitting in one of the chairs at the kitchen, staring at me with eyes full of disappointment. I shuddered slightly, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, but never the less, I continued to meet it bravely.

I was in for it now…

"Makino, I was…"

"Do you know what time it is?" Makino interrupts, her stern tone never wavering for a moment.

"…Not really…" I reply with a helpless little shrug. I shouldn't have done that. Makino isn't happy.

"It's almost one in the morning" Makino explains "And IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!" I swear under my breath, carefully not to let Makino hear me.

"Look Makino I…"  
"Where were you?" Makino interrupted me once more. Quickly my mind thinks up an excuse.

"I was with Nami"

"First place I called and she said you weren't there" Makino replied, glaring at me in rage.

"Yeah...but I WAS with Nami and Ace phoned me and warned that I shouldn't come home until you calmed down...so I…spent a while at Zoro's"

"Zoro said he hadn't seen you all night and Robin vouched for him because she was with him studying" Makino says, her voice raising in volume.

"Well I can…" I stop mid-sentence and look towards her "Zoro's finally taken her offer and is letting her tutor him?"

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT ON ME LUFFY!" Makino shrieked, banging her fist against the table. I stopped talking and paled. If Ace wasn't awake before, he definitely was now.

"YOU KNOW THE RULES OF THIS HOUSE YOUNG MAN. YOU TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE WHEN YOU GO OUT AND YOU DON'T JUST IGNORE ALL MY CALLS AND STAY OUT UNTIL WHO KNOWS HOW LATE!" She thundered, tears starting to leak out of her eyes. I was completely stunned by Makino's anger. She never cried, let alone this much.

"Makino…I just…"  
"SO TELL ME LUFFY, WHICH HORRIBLE LIE ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME THIS TIME? WERE YOU AT CHOPPER'S? USSOP'S? VIVI'S? MAYBE YOU WERE EATING OUT AT ZEFF'S RESTAURANT WITH SANJI?"

"Makino…"  
"SAVE IT LUFFY!" Makino finishes, angrily standing up from her seat and looking me in the eye "I DON'T CARE ANYMORE. YOU ARE GROUNDED!"

My eyes widen.

I could feel my heart stop for a second.

There was a loud sound in my head.

It was the sound of my superhero career ripping in two.

"R-run that b-by me again" I mumble, stumbling over my words.

"You heard me" Makino replied "You are grounded. That means" She lifts her index finger upwards.

"No more friends over" Her middle finger lifts upwards.

"No more being late to school" Finally, her ring finger lifts up, abscent of any golden decoration.

"And finally, you have a curfew. You're home by five or else there will be hell to pay. Do you understand me young man?" I'm stunned into silence.

"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Yes maam…" I mutter, clenching my fists.

"Good. Then get up those stairs and GO TO BED. WE'LL TALK ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL SITUATON LATER!"

"But Makino…"  
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Makino yells. For a moment, I remain still but then, I drop my gaze to the floor and nod gently.

"Yes…mum…" I then proceed to the staircase, my heart aching as I watch Makino sink back into her seat, her head in her hands. I didn't say anything as I climbed the stairs. As silent as possible, I skulk back into my room, closing the door with a loud bang. I sigh gently as I make my way towards my bed, literally throwing myself onto it. I muffle my sadness as I rest my head in a pillow and scream into the object to let out my rage. Wearily, I collapsed onto my back, flinging the pillow behind my head. I groaned as I shimmed out of my shirt, throwing at onto the floor with my tie. I remove my pants to, throwing them onto the side, causing them to land on my school bag that I'd left draped on the floor.

"Great work superhero" I think to myself with a sigh "you beat your first super villain, save the hostages and yet you're still grounded"

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 2: Catalyst Act 1**_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	6. Chapter 2: Catalysts Act 1

…_**There's not really anything I can think of saying, so…ON WITH THE STORY!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Catalysts Act 1**_

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

This is revenge. It's obvious. Beckman is milking this for all he could JUST so he could make me squirm. I woke up around two hours ago. Makino knocked on my bedroom door at seven thirty in the morning and as I was coming around, she dragged me onto my feet and almost literally flung me into the shower, to make sure I was ready for school. The water was cold and it woke me up almost instantly. That was the first sign I had that today was going to be difficult. After I had gotten showered and dressed, I skulked downstairs. Makino was waiting for me at the breakfast table and was sitting there talking to Ace. Before I could say anything, Makino had ushered me into a seat and placed breakfast in front of my plate. It was only one helping. I could tell Makino was still mad at me, mainly because of how she immediately retreated away from me and instead, decided to busy herself with washing the dishes. Ace didn't talk to me either through breakfast, though he did at least give me a supportive smile. Straight away after that, it was seven fifty…and that was when Makino shooed me out of the house. She then made me get in her car and she drove me to school. I arrived half an hour early for school. Makino was DEFINITELY showing concern about how late or early I was getting to school. I still remembered exactly what Makino said as I tried to step out of the car. She grabbed my arm and pulled me close and then, she whispered into my ear

"Luffy, I trust you. Don't screw up"

And with that, I was left alone on the pavement watching her silver Vauxhall race away. I gave out a loud sigh before turning around and entering Dawn High…with thirty minutes to go until school started…

Oh this is so boring…

Further punishment came later, when Beckman entered his classroom and found me sitting at my desk…twenty minutes before school started.

"Luffy...what are you?"

"Makino" I interrupted before he could even ask. Beckman nodded in understanding and then walked towards his desk with a sly smile. After a few awkward minutes of silence between the two of us, more punishment followed.

"LUFFY!"

"HANCOCK, I WILL GET A RESTRAINING ORDER ON YOU IF YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH ME! I AM NOT IN THE MOOD TODAY!" I replied bitterly. Strangely, Hancock actually recoiled away from me as I yelled this, stopping herself from embracing me into a hug.

"…Okay" she mumbled, sinking into her usual seat at the other side of the class room with a sad frown. Her sister's Sandersonia and Marigold gave me a glare as I did so but I responded with a glare of my own. As I had told Hancock, I was just not in the mood for anything to go wrong today. I'd already had a lot of stuff go wrong already. I had made my friends worry about me, I had disappointed Makino and now, to add further insult to injury, I was now grounded. Somewhere out there, someone is laughing at me.

Now, fast forward one hour and twenty minutes and I've just finished that biology test Beckman told me and the class about yesterday. Everyone's eyes are glued to the front of the room as Beckman is scanning over the papers. This is why Beckman is torturing me. He's going to hand out our papers but he's going to make sure to do it slowly AND to wait until last, to give me my score. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Beckman finally stands up and starts walking around the tables. Every time he passes my table, he 'forgets' to drop the paper down, trying to keep me in suspense…AND IT'S WORKING!

Eventually, on his final return to his desk, Beckman places the paper in front of me, making sure to do it slowly, before he finally walks off. Almost immediately, I scramble for my paper, almost pushing the paper off of the desk in my panic. Luckily, I manage to grab the paper in both hands. It is then that I realise that, unlike usual, Beckman has decided to place the overall score at the back of the paper. Angrily, I flip over the paper to see my score painted in big red numbers.

"Ninety per cent…" I read off the paper, before looking up to Beckman, who has already dismissed the class without my knowledge. Beckman nods at me with a smile, amongst the rummaging of the pupils in the class.

"Does…does that mean I aced it?" I asked, smiling myself.

"Well, to be honest, you're barely scraping that A but…yeah, I guess you did…" Beckman replies, giving me a wide grin. Happily, I leap out of my seat with a shout of joy, picking up my bag and sliding it onto my back.

"See you later Becky"

"I TOLD YOU TO NEVER…" Beckman starts but I interrupt him with a sigh  
"I ACED IT! Let me have one moment of fun!" I yell with a wink, before racing out of the room to catch up to the others, leaving Beckman alone to enjoy his next class.

Straight away, I ran in the direction of the changing rooms for P.E. When I arrive, everyone else has already gotten change and have already headed into the large hall we have. I may be late, like always, but the fact that I'm actually there makes Lucky Roux smile.

"Get in there as soon as you can Luffy" He said, taking a bite out of some meat in his hand "we're having a game of Dodge-ball today, and you need to get in there before the teams are picked" As always, I give a mock salute before reaching into my bag to pull out my P.E kit. The P.E kit for Dawn high is basically just a white t-shirt with black shorts, so it doesn't take long for me to get changed. With a spring in my step, I sprinted out of the changing room and skidded into the large hall. Silently, I weave my way between all of the students standing in the room until I'm standing behind Kaya and Usopp. They don't notice my appearance, so I have to poke Usopp on the shoulder, for him to finally turn around and notice me.

"Luffy, you're in Science AND P.E? Is this a sign of the apocalypse?" he asks with a sly smile on his face.

"Very funny" I mumble "so, have we picked the teams yet?

"Not yet" Kaya admits, turning around to me with a smile "but we've already chosen the two captains" Looking over to see the two captains, I let out a chuckle seeing Sanji and Zoro standing opposite each other, spouting insults at each other.

"Alright you two" Lucky Roux said, standing between the two hot headed males "now, the rules are that if you get hit by the ball on any part of your body, other than your hands and your head, that means you're out. You can be brought back in if you manage to catch a Dodge Ball with your hands before it hits you but if you drop it, you'll go out instead. If you manage to hit the team leaders, then the whole team goes out. Any questions?" There is silence in the room.

"Alright then, Zoro, you get first pick" Lucky Roux concludes, stepping aside to allow the game to begin.

"Luffy…" Zoro shouts, pointing in my direction. Happily, I walk out of the crowd and stand beside him.

"Oi, shit head, get over here!" Usopp sighed loudly and went over to Sanji's team with a loud grunt. Usopp is by no doubt one of the best dodge ball players I've ever seen. Not only does he always dodge the balls, but his aim is perfect.

"Johnny" Zoro calls once more.

"NAMI-SWAN!" Sanji announces happily, dancing around as the orange haired woman sighs, walking out onto the game field.

"Yosaku"

"ROBIN CHWAN!"

"Conis"

"KAYA MY DALING!"

"Er…Keimi"

"VIVI MY SWEET!"

"…Hancock…" I turn to Zoro as soon as he says the name, giving him a death glare.

"Look she's a good player" Zoro whispers to me "It's just a game Luffy. Just forget about her" I growled but nodded my head in acceptance.

"SANDERSONIA MY BEAUTIFUL ANGEL!"

"Chopper"

"RAN MY GORGEOUS GODESS!"

"Marigold"

"DAISY MY LOVE!"

"ALRIGHT!" Lucky Roux shouts, as he places around six dodge balls in the centre of the pitch "When I blow this whistle, the game commences!"

Straight away, we all got into position, our eyes focused on the balls and our legs ready to run. After a small while of waiting, Lucky Roux blows the whistle.

The game is on…

Straight away, we all start running for the balls…all except Hancock, who I actually notice seems to be walking very shakily. For a brief moment, I wonder what's wrong but the adrenaline flowing through my body soon snaps me out of my daze. Whilst I'm not one of the first people to grab a dodge ball, Zoro is and he passes the one he picks up to me. I smile as I catch and turn to my nearest target. Usopp or Sanji are the guys I want to get out, seeing as Sanji is the team captain and Usopp is essentially a king at sniping. Luckily, I do spot someone distracted in the chaos. Vivi is aiming at Zoro on the other end of the court and hasn't noticed me. So, with a cocky grin, I lightly throw the ball so that it hits her on the leg. As it hits her, she shakes gently and then looks over to me with a glare.

"Sorry Vivi" I call, as she heads to the 'out' area "Maybe you'll actually defend yourself next time" As soon as the words come out of my mouth, a dodge ball hits me in the chest and I grunt, turning to see none other than Usopp, looking at me with a smile.

One of these days Sniper King…one of these days…

Reluctantly, I retreat towards the 'out' area and Vivi laughs at my entrance.

"There there Luffy" she says, patting my back playfully "maybe YOU'LL actually defend yourself next time…"

"Ha ha ha" I muttered, giving her my best sarcastic glare. Of course, it didn't work and Vivi just chuckled at my obviously fake anger. Both of us then turned to watch the dodge ball match, smiles on each of our faces. This is what I missed the most about being in school. These moments where I can just stand around and relax with my friends are pure perfection. Just at that moment, I could see that Nami was walking over to the two of us.

"You two were the first out? I thought you were more focused that this Luffy" she chastises me with a light smile. I pout at her in reaction to this and grumble to myself.

"I told you I was going to be more focused with school work but that's not going to happen over night" I say with a shrug. Nami slowly nods at me and then stands beside Vivi.

"I forgot to ask" Vivi suddenly realises, turning to me with a worrying frown "how did things go last night with Makino? She phoned up my house last night to say you weren't home yet. Where were you?" I could feel the sweat building up on my neck and so, as always, I had no choice but to avoid the subject.

"Well, that's the thing. Things went horribly wrong and now, I'm grounded" I explain with a sigh. Nami and Vivi stare at me in surprise.

"Seriously?" they ask unanimously. I nod in reply.

"For how long?" Nami questions.

"I don't know. Makino's probably keeping it a secret so she can teach me a lesson" I speculate with a scratch of my head "but as long as I'm grounded, there's no hanging out with you guys after school and I've got a curfew. So far, she hasn't taken my laptop off me, but I do share that with Ace, so it's possible she could just ban me from using it"

"It sounds rough" Chopper acknowledges, as we all jump at his presence.

"H…how long have you been here?" I ask in confusion.

"Only a few minutes" Chopper explains, smiling widely "I took a dodge ball for Zoro, so he's still in"

"YOU TOOK ONE OF SANJI'S DODGEBALLS? DID IT HURT?" Vivi yells as she crouches down slightly to Chopper's level. As much as we treat Chopper like one of the group, he is a few years younger that us. We're not underestimating him for being fifteen, but it does bare considering that Chopper is really a book worm, not the strongest guy in our group, and he just took a ball thrown by Sanji, probably the third strongest out of all of us. I don't say it, but Chopper has just impressed me.

Nami, on the other hand, is far from impressed.

"HEY MOSS-HEAD! HOW COULD YOU LET POOR INNOCENT CHOPPER TAKE A BALL FOR YOU?" she shouts at Zoro angrily. Zoro grunts as he sidesteps a ball thrown by Usopp.

"He did it before I could stop him, besides, if I was hit, the game would be over" Zoro reasons, this time jumping up as Sanji's dodge ball whizzes under his legs.

"HEY SHITHEAD! FOCUS ON THE GAME!" Sanji replies, throwing another dodge ball at the green haired man, only for Zoro to catch it in mid-air.

"Zoro's team 1 Sanji's team 0" Lucky Roux announces, blowing his whistle as loudly as he can. With a shrug, Chopper, Vivi, Nami and me all walk back onto the pitch, ready to resume the second half. As usual, I take my place standing next to Zoro, who's already waiting to run over to the centre of the pitch and grab a dodge ball.

"So, if you're in this class, will we still see you at lunch?" Zoro asks me with a hopeful smile. Unfortunately, I have to shake my head.

"Sorry, but I've got somewhere I have to be later" I explain sadly. Zoro nods in understanding but I can still see a sad look in his eye.

"Alright then Luffy…but at least we'll be able to talk after school right?" he asks. I shake my head at Zoro and sigh.

"Yeah about that…there's something I've got to tell you about that…"

If I hadn't realised it before hand, then I definitely would have realised it now.

Being grounded was going to SUCK!

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

After our P.E lesson and follow up lessons of History with Professor Clover and a lesson of maths which, due to our lack of maths teacher, was taught by none other than Principal Rayleigh, Luffy says goodbye to us and then, he just sort of races off somewhere. I watch as he runs away and I can't help but feel slightly depressed as I watch his retreating back. Even now, after we've had our talk, I still think there's something going on with him. The way he always disappears on us is getting a little confusing. I'm definitely going to have to find out what he's doing one of these days. To be honest, it has me worried. I can even tell Makino's concerned as well. When she phoned our house that night and I talked to her, I could almost tell she was on the edge of tears. To be honest, I was almost the same. Luckily for me, Bellemere didn't get hurt and she was soon home…though as soon as she arrived at home, she immediately shooed us both off to bed. She wouldn't have any of Nojiko's complaints about her having her own apartment and instead, Nojiko slept over that night. Bellemere may be a little overprotective, but I was really glad that she was alright. Shaking my head suddenly, I realised I had gotten distracted from the situation at hand and Kaya had been talking to me for I don't know how long and I haven't heard. Now, she's looking at me as if she just asked a question of some kind and I shudder with as a nervous chill runs down my spine. Hoping she asked me a simple question, I nod nervously. Kaya giggles at me and smiles.

"I knew it" she said with pride "you two are so cute together" Immediately, I stop walking.

"What?" I ask in confusion,

"You weren't listening again were you?" Kaya replies with a knowing stare. I attempt to defend myself but unfortunately, Kaya's gaze is too disarming and I sigh in acceptance.

"Sorry" I mumble, but Kaya shakes her head

"It's alright Nami. You did look like you had something important on your mind. Let's catch up to everyone else" she suggests, looking forward, revealing that everyone is already far ahead of us in the corridor.

"Okay then" I say with a grin, speeding up my walk and following Kaya along.

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

The thing I hated most about being grounded? Curfews! Curfews meant that I couldn't spend a lot of time on patrol like usual…plus I have to factor in that after my battle with Predator, my costume has been torn to shreds so if I do save people, I'll look like I did in my early superhero days, with nothing but a domino mask, a red hoodie, a pair of black gloves and my trademark straw-hat perched on my head. I would look ridiculous…though come to think of it, that would look slightly less odd that my usual outfit. Anyway, as many of you may know, I am no tailor…but I know someone who is!

And that's where I'm heading now, swinging around in my old hoodie costume as my straw-hat billows behind me. Finally, arriving at my location, I swing over to the roof of a small shop and land gently on the roof. I'll tell you what, these pain killers are amazing. Pop one in your mouth and BAM! Scarlet Wind is good and ready for a total of three and a half hours. Slowly, I walk over to a small door on the roof, leading into the shop itself. I swing open the door casually and carefully creep down the stairs. I can hear his voice before I see him.

"~Another one of your suits Mr. Shiki? Alright, I'll have it done by tomorrow for you sir~" I chuckle slightly at how Bon is singing almost everything he says. Bon Clay and I go way back. It all started when I began looking for a tailor to make costumes for me. As always, I turned to the internet for the answer. I did find my answer (as well as a video, which I think I added to my favourites). After that, I visited the tailors that was advertised…only to be mistaken for a robber and attacked. That was the first time I met Bon Clay and at first, I didn't really make a good impression. Luckily, I soon convinced Bon I was a customer and he listened to my proposal and made a deal. I'd give him the money for the costume at a later date (basically when I could afford it) and when I did, Bon Clay would make me the suit. Overall, everything seemed to be going well. However, several things happened in the following weeks and I realised it'd be best if I just abandoned the deal because I couldn't find the money. However, when I told Bon about this, he burst into tears. That confused me but, as it turned out; Bon was crying because he was admiring my desire to do good and, therefore, he made a new deal with me and said he would make my costume free of charge as long as I gave him full authority over the suit design. I agreed and from then on, I and Bon Clay have been partners. He makes me new suits or fixes them and I go off and do the hero thing. I really grew to like Bon Clay quickly too. He's a nice guy and loyal but, most of all, he's extremely dedicated. He always works hard on my costumes and, now is no exception.

As soon as Bon sees me rounding the corner and smiling at him, he immediately turns back to the phone with a smile.

"Sir, I'm going to have to call you back" he says and slams the phone down.

Somewhere out there in Dawn City, Shiki is shouting profanities as loud as a sonic boom.

Ah, it's the simple things in life that bring a smile to my face.

"Well, well, well" Bon yells with a grin "if it isn't my favourite customer! Scarlet, my friend, how are you? Still fighting the good fight?"

"Do you even need to ask?" I question in return. Bon Clay, of course, shakes his head and chuckles.

"So, I take it you've come to pick up that second costume you wanted made?" he asks again, getting excited at the possibility of showing me his new craftsman ship.

"To pick that up…and to drop this off" I explain, pulling the old school bag I keep my costume in off my back and pulling out my damaged suit. Almost immediately, Bon swipes it out of hands in a gasp of horror.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BABY?" he yells loudly, cuddling the torn fabric in his arms.

"HEY! I didn't do anything!" I shout in return "There was this cat and he had claws and teeth and…"

"You got beat up by a cat?" Bon responds, his eye brow cocking at my description.

"HE WAS A SUPER VILLAIN CAT! A HUGE LEOPARD GUY! DON'T YOU WATCH THE NEWS?" Bon's reply to this was to sulk and fold his arms.

"Please! I would never watch a program with outfits so…so…TACKY!"

"Whatever" I interrupt with a groan "You can keep your 'baby' and I'll just take my new suit then thank you" Quickly, I stretch my arm away in attempt to grab hold of what I presume is my costume, lying on a desk. Bon Clay, however, stops me from picking it up by delivering a mighty kick to my arm.

"IT WOULD BE A CRIME TO FASHION TO LET YOU DESTROY ANY MORE OF MY PRECIOUS WORK!...speaking of crimes to fashion, what are you wearing?" Bon asks. Nervously, I look down at my old outfit and I shrug my shoulders.

"It's a nostalgic outfit" I reason with a shrug.

"It's a hideously old abomination" Bon counters with a scowl "I CANNOT LET THIS CRIME AGAINST FASHION STAND!" With that loud shout, Bon throws me the new completed costume and literally flings me into another room.

"Get dressed!" he instructs me "If I'm going to let you have that suit, then you're going to have to at least try it on to see if it fits all right" Reluctantly, I nod and as Bon shuts the door, I start getting changed.

"I've got to say Bon, you are legendary at this" I comment, looking over the finished product in the mirror. Bon chuckles slightly.

"Of course, your super suits are my little pet project. I always love working for you my friend because your suits are a challenge to create, seeing as they need to be both functional and fashionable. The fabric for the suit is made of a special polymer fibre like usual, which is more flexible and more durable, allowing it to take the strain of your body when you stretch and do those athletic stunts of yours. The gloves that cover your hands from the tip of your fingers to the wrists have been made with function in mind as well and have therefore been made from this same polymer fibre, but they have also been altered in order to provide more grip. We wouldn't want you losing your grip on a ledge or a criminal, would we? The same fibre and grip have also been applied to your boots in order to keep you grounded when you need to be. The cape over one shoulder is just my attempt at adding a little style and flare to the overall thing. That black cloth is practical as well, though, as it's short enough to not get in your way in a fight, but at the same time, it's long enough to give you a certain hint of style. I mixed things up a bit from your old outfit so instead of those large upside down triangle patterns I added to your top, I've instead dyed the area around the chest black, whilst keeping the stomach, the legs and the arms red. Overall, I'd say this is one of my better versions of your outfit and I hope you won't break it so quickly this time" Happy with the result, I place my straw-hat on my head and turn around to Bon with a grin.

"I'll try but I don't think crooks will keep that rule in mind whilst they're trying aiming at me with their pistols" I say. Bon smiles at me and then, his eyes wander up to my head.

"Why do you always wear that straw-hat?" he asks curiously "No matter what suit I make for you, you've either got it draped around your back or you're wearing it on your head" For a moment, I'm silent before I continue speaking in a low tone.

"It's…a family heirloom" I admit with a sad frown. Bon sees my sadness and shakes his head.

"Say no more Scarlet" he interrupts with a small smile "It's nostalgic and, whilst an odd style choice, I do thing it goes well with the outfit"

"Thanks" I mutter in reply, a smile of my own coming to my face.

"I'm just saying the truth…" Bon says reassuringly.

"Not about that" I admit happily "thanks for doing all of this for me. You're a good friend Bon. I owe you loads for this and I'm glad I've got your help"

"You better get going now" Bon replies turning away from me and raising a hand to his eye.

"…Bon, are you crying?" I ask with a smile.

"~WHAT YOU SAID WAS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL!~" Bon shouts loudly, tears falling down his face "~GO MY FRIEND AND PLEASE RETURN SOON!" I smile at Bon in return and laugh with glee.

"Will do Bon and thanks again!" I shout before bounding up the stairs leaving Bon to his tearful state, whispering something about 'memoirs of a summer's day'…whatever that means…

* * *

Luckily, I arrive in school on time for my final lesson, English once more with Pell. Pell seems surprised to see me in class but is never the less quite happy. He doesn't make a fuss as I walk into the room followed by a few late comers and carefully, I take my seat beside Nami, looking over to her with a smile. In a matter of minutes, we've started work on another horror book Pell is teaching us about, Frankenstein and the lesson is soon underway as he hands out questions on a sheet of paper about the book. In all of the loud conversations the other students are having as they do their work, I'm able to lean over to Nami and copy some of her answers that I didn't know.

"So, what did I miss at Lunch?" I ask, trying to make pleasant conversation and cover up my copying attempts.

"Not much" Nami reveals with a sly grin, blocking the answer to Question five with her hand "The food was nice though…how was visiting Sabo's grave?" I winced slightly at the question, remembering the lie I had told Nami yesterday.

"Same old same old" I whispered, trying to tilt my head in order to read Nami's answers.

"Is that where you were last night?" Nami questions, once more blocking my vision of her paper with her other hand.

"Not really…" I lie, sweating a little at the intruding questions Nami was asking me, whilst I continued to lean my head back and forth.

"So where were you then? Makino said she thought you were at my house" Nami retorts, once more blocking her work but this time, giving me a glare as her other arm tried to push my head away from her desk.

"Well…I was at yours" I admit with a mumble. For a moment, Nami freezes and I take my opportunity to copy out one of the answers.

'Frankenstein expresses the theme of family through the relationship between fathers. Whereas Frankenstein's father was kind to his son and nurtured him, Frankenstein was cruel to the monster, who could be considered his son, showing a stark contrast between the two relationships and the characters'.

"Hey Nami, what does stark mean?" I ask, pointing to the spot of the question I just copied. Nami, however, ignores my question.

"You were at my house last night?" she questions in confusion. I nod in reply.

"You got my flowers right?" Nami's eyes widen.

"I thought that might have been you. Why did you give them to me?" I shrug.

"You helped me like the card said, so I wanted to thank you for that" I explain, looking down at the sheet of paper for the next question.

"Luffy" I tilt my head and look up at Nami. Her face looks a little pinkish as she smiles at me and murmurs a quiet 'Thank you'.

"No, thank you" I reply, smiling back at her.

"LUFFY!" At the loud yell, I snap out of my distracted state and realise that Pell is standing at the front of the class ready to begin. Everyone has stopped talking and now all eyes are on Nami and me, leaning over to copy her work.

"I'm sorry Luffy" Pell announces with a scowl "Is Nami more interesting to you than my lesson?"

For a moment, I am silent.

I look over at Nami, then back at Pell.

"Yes"

Nami promptly slaps me around the head with a groan and hides her head between her arms on the table.

* * *

_**Ace P.O.V**_

"Thanks again for the lift Marco" I say with a smile, taking in the music coming from the car stereo.

"No problem Ace" Marco replies "I was already giving Jozu a lift, so I figured since you lived nearby him, I'd be able to drop you off as well" Jozu, in the back seat, nods at Marco's statement, still tapping his foot to the beat of the music. Lazily, I relax in my seat, my hand reaching over to touch the stereo. I turn the dial with a click and suddenly, another song floods the car.

"HEY! I WAS LISTENING TO THAT" Jozu grumbles angrily, leaning forward to look me in the eye.

"Not anymore obviously" I reply with a chuckle, nodding my own head to the beat of the music. With a growl, Jozu leans forward to grab the radio dial and I grab hold of his arm to stop him.

"ACE! LET GO!"

"WE ARE NOT LISTENING TO THAT PIECE OF CRAP YOU WERE LISTENING TO!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP OR I WILL TURN THIS CAR AROUND!" Marco interrupts our argument, turning to us with an angry glare.

"Yes Mum" I and Jozu say in chorus. Marco sighs at our antics and then, slowly, he turns right at a corner and suddenly, I can see my house.

"Your stop Ace" Marco says, pulling over onto the side of the street.

"Thank you Sherlock, your power of deduction knows no end" I reply with a roll of my eyes. Jozu chortles at my statement but Marco just gives me a cynical stare before pointing to the car door.

"Just get going hot head" he orders. Doing a mock salute, I exit the car, waving to the two as they pull away from the pavement. In a moment, they're gone, leaving me alone on the side of the street. With a small happy sigh, I turn to the door and insert my key. I turn the key in the lock until the loud click calls out to me, as if saying 'Come on Ace, push now'. I do indeed push on the door, looking at my watch as I enter the porch. It's quarter to five. Luffy's curfew is soon, so he'll probably be on his way home soon. Gently, I close the front door and turn around, opening the door that leads into the house.

"MAKINO, I'm back!" I call, stepping onto the clean wooden floor.

"ACE MY BOY! HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN!" At the sound of that voice, I feel my whole body shake. I know that voice…

Windows too far away to jump through…

Door is too difficult to open…

I can't get away in time.

With a mutter of a curse word under my breath, I accept the large thick arms that embrace me, like a bear trying to crush my body under its mighty grip…it almost works…

Luffy…run…you don't want to come home…

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

I was really excited for coming home today. Finally, I can return home with an A- in my pocket and a perfect day's attendance under my belt. Makino'll be happy and I won't be grounded anymore. I'm in a good mood today and absolutely nothing could ruin it. Seeing as school ended at three, I decide that I had around an hour and a half to try out the new Scarlet costume before I return home. It works like a dream. Bon REALLY has outdone himself. There's no friction as I move in the spandex and no problem stretching with it. I'm really glad I have Bon. I couldn't imagine making a super suit like that without him. Maybe I'll get him a present one day. After all, I did for Nami…though getting flowers for Bon would be kinda weird. He'd probably of into one of those monologues like he usually does.

With a shudder, I continue my walk home, having changed into my school uniform after a while on patrol. I managed to foil a mugging and a robbery but the mugger escaped before I could catch him. Still, overall, it's not a bad hour's work. With a proud smirk on my face, I march along towards the door to my house and I quickly produce a key from my bag and open the door. I push the door open with a victorious grin and then, I practically leap into the house.

"HEY MAKINO! GUESS WHO GOT AN A ON HIS SCIENCE TEST…well technically, it's an A minus but still, IT'S A SOLID A" I bellow happily.

"Really Luffy, that's great!" A womanly voice calls out, as Makino runs out of the living room and hugs me tightly "see, I knew you could do it"

"AN A? THAT'S AMAZING!"

At the new voice, I felt a sudden twinge of fear.

It couldn't be…

Not here…

WHERE WAS BELLEMERE WHEN YOU NEEDED HER!

Then, before I could move, I saw him rounding a corner. What did I spot first? Was it the small stubby beard that spread out from underneath his nose, around his mouth and finally ended inches off his chin? Was it the battle scar that patterned his left eye like a tattoo? Or was it the large wide grin that I was sure by now ran in the family?

However I recognised him wasn't the point, but the point was that I had. He was wearing that black shirt with the large white collar that he often wore whilst off duty.

It was him.

"HEY LUFFY, DON'T JUST STAND THERE LIKE AN IDIOT! COME GIVE YOUR GRANDPA A BIG HUG!"

It was Garp…

And I thought being grounded was the worst thing that could happen to me this week…

* * *

_**3**__**rd**__** Person P.O.V**_

"ARE YOU SURE THIS IS SAFE?" the whiny man shouted up to the control room from within the glass casing, which secured him in place.

"Don't worry Mr. Galdino…" a soothing voice reassured him from the shadows "We've tested this procedure enough to know that it'll work" Galdino breathed a sigh of relief.

"How many times have you tested it then?" he asked nervously.

"Including this time? Once!" the voice said, cackling like a madman. Galdino nodded his head for a moment, but then suddenly started to panic as he took in what the man said, tugging frantically on the large golden collar around his neck.

"WAIT WHAT? WHAT DO YOU…?"

"Calm down Galdino" Spandam commanded from his spot in the chamber "Everything will be all right. We chose you because we saw potential in you. You were smart, but you couldn't match that Scarlet bastard in terms of strength…until now…Doc, give him the rundown!" At the order, the mysterious voice cackled louder.

"Well, you see sir, after the collar administers the injection into your body; we will then begin the process of coating you in your armour. The armour will be made of a thick coating of wax which, due to the injection, will not only be bonded to your skin, but you will also be able to manipulate the wax into a variety of shapes due to the injection, a special elemental manipulation serum. However, I will warn you. You may be able to morph your armour into anything but be aware that you do have restrictions. You can't create more wax to your armour, you can only control the amount you have. Do you understand?"

"I…suppose..." Galdino stuttered, shaking slightly and overall, unsure of what he was being told "So…I'll be essentially a walking statue?"

"More like a walking and FIGHTING statue" the voice concluded with a laugh. Spandam shook his head and then, walked out of the chamber and into the control room, withdrawing a phone from his pockets as he did so.

"We're ready Mr Zero" he said into the phone.

"_Then proceed!" _Mr Zero replied. Spandam clicked the phone off with a smirk and nodded towards the silhouette of the man near the computer console.

"Bring the thunder Doc" he instructed with a calm voice. The shadowy figure began to cackle at this and, with extreme excitement, began to tap on the keyboard in front of him. As he did so, two long pipes slowly protruded from the wall and attached to the glass case with a loud click as they are locked into place. At that moment, the collar began to hum loudly and the lights on either side began to turn on and off.

"WAIT!" Galdino called suddenly "IS THIS GONNA HURT?" The cackling voice soon replied to him.

"You can't make an omelette without breaking a few bones" Galdino's eyes widened and he let out a scream as a hissing sound came from the collar.

The process had begun.

With a large smile, the shadowy figure flicked another switch and, with a loud clank, wax began to pour into the glass casing from the pipes, beginning to coat Galdino in a thick armour. The timid man screamed loudly as this happened, though he was unable to move, due to the confinements of the casing around him. The wax continued to cascade into the casing and, in a blink of an eye, the only thing that remained of Galdino's old body was his head, trapped inside the large wax armour. When the glass casing was filled to the brim, the loud clanging stopped and the hissing subsided. Slowly, the glass casing opened as steam filled the chamber. In excitement, Spandam dashed down to the chamber, staring at the large blurred object in the chamber, hidden behind the steam.

"Galdino?" Spandam called into the room, awaiting a reply. In response, the figure in the chamber moved. Unlike before, he was now coated in a large set of light grey wax for armour. As he stirred, multiple robotic arms came out from the wall, brandishing large white bazookas.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING VEGAPUNK?" Spandam yelled angrily, looking up to see the scientist had joined him "HE'S WORKING FOR MR. ZERO, WHY ARE THOSE WEAPONS POINTED AT HIM?" Vegapunk chuckled to himself.

"Weapons? No, no, no…those are paint guns" The metallic arms then twitched and then, a spray of paint emerged from the barrel of the bazookas, covering almost all of the wax armour in colour.

"Then…what are you doing?" Spandam asked again. Vegapunk laughed once more.

"I may be a scientist but I DO have a sense of fashion Mr. Spandam. You see, I'm giving our friend here a makeover, to make him look less dull" he explained.

It was true. The amour now looked more colourful than before with thick purple paint around the torso, whilst the large wax hands and feet were coated in a red colour.

"How do you feel about your new look Galdino?" Vegapunk asked the armour as the man inside it moved once more.

"I…I'm not Galdino anymore…" the man said, stepping out from the chamber and ultimately towering over the two others in the room "Now…point me in the way of the door…"

"BECAUSE WAXWORK HAS A SCORE TO SETTLE WITH THE SCARLET WIND!"

* * *

_**To be continued in Scarlet Wind Chapter 2: Catalysts Part 2**_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	7. Chapter 2: Catalysts Act 2

_**Finally, I've managed to work on Scarlet Wind and finish and upload a new chapter.**_

_**However, I must admit, I'm starting to really hate my style of writing in Scarlet Wind (telling a story in the present tense is hard and it just doesn't feel good to me to be honest). What is your opinion on this? Would you rather I write the story in the past tense or keep it in the present?**_

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Catalysts Act 2**_

Welcome to Online Messenger

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Username: Kingofpirates56

Password: ********

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Kingofpirates56 signed in

12 Friends online

Kingofpirates56: HEEELLLLPPPP NAMI!11

MikanLover35: Why, what's wrong?

Mr Bushido: Yeah Luff, what's up?

GreatcaptainUsopp: You seem a little jumpy…what's the problem?  
Kingofpirates56: Well, if you'd give me a chance, I'd explain things!

MikanLover35: Alright Luffy, we're all ears. What's the problem?

Kingofpirates56: Garp

Mr Bushido: Oh crap

MikanLover35: HE'S THERE?

GreatcaptainUsopp: Nice knowing you Luffy…

Baratielovecook: Sounds shitty

DoctorReindeer6: LUFFY! NO!

Bookworm777: Sounds good Maybe you two can get to know each other better?

DesertPrincess: Luffy, I'm sorry for sounding out of the loop but, who's Garp?

MikanLover35: Luffy's Grandpa

Kingofpirates56: My CRAZY AND ABUSIVE Grandpa

Bookworm777: He's not that bad Luffy, you're exaggerating!

Kingofpirates56: :( Don't start with me Robin, I'm not in the mood.

MikanLove35:…and the thing you want me to help with is?

Kingofpirates56: HANG OUT WITH ME TOMORROW!

MikanLover35: Can't

Kingofpirates56: NAMI!

MikanLover35: I'm starting my weekend job at the Grand Line times tomorrow Luffy. Bellemere worked hard to get it for me and I'm not going to screw it up by not showing up on the first day.

Kingofpirates56: I'll come with you then

MikanLover35: No, personnel only :P

Kingofpirates56: …Zoro?

Mr Bushido: I'm visiting Kuina tomorrow remember?

Kingofpirates56: Okay…Usopp, buddy, pal

GreatcaptainUsopp: Family reunion

Kingofpirates56: I thought WE were as close as family? Why wasn't I invited?  
Bookworm777: Because you have a trip with Grandpa I presume

Kingofpirates56: Robin, not now, can't you see I and Usopp are discussing family matters?

GreatcaptainUsopp: Sorry Luffy, Dad and Mum have got enough on to do without catering for you as well

Kingofpirates56: Better yet, I could take you off their hands and we could go shopping for those backward comic books you like

GreatcaptainUsopp: They're called 'Manga'…AND YOU SHOULD KNOW, YOU BOUGHT THE LAST VOLUME OF FAIRY TAIL!

Kingofpirates56:…So it's a yes?  
GreatcaptainUsopp: No

Kingofpirates56: COME ON! I'll buy you the latest volume of Naruto...

GreatcaptainUsopp: Oh…I've been saving up for that…

Bookworm777: DON'T GIVE IN USOPP!

Kingofpirates56: I'll get you anything, anything. I'll buy you all the Full Metal Alchemist volumes to date

GreatcaptainUsopp: You don't have that much money…

Kingofpirates56: THEN I'LL OWE YOU, WON'T I? Come on Usopp, I'll be in your debt.

GreatcaptainUsopp is offline

Kingofpirates56: YOU COWARD! HOW DARE YOU ABANDON YOUR FAMILY IN THIS TIME OF NEED!...Sanji?

Baratielovecook: I'm working and no, you can't hang out here…not since last time…

Kingofpirates56: For the last time, how I was I supposed to know the cake was for that married couple?

Baratielovecook: BECAUSE THE ICING YOU LICKED OFF IT SAID 'HAPPY ANNIVERSARY'!

Kingofpirates56: But it was so tasty…fine then, Chopper

DoctorReindeer6: I'd love too Luffy…but Dad needs help around the pharmacy tomorrow

Kingofpirates56: Vivi! Any help?  
DesertPrincess: I don't see how it's a problem that your Grandpa wants to spend time with you

Kingofpirates56: This is the same Grandpa who threw me into a lion den at the Zoo to 'make me stronger'

DesertPrincess:…Well…good luck with that…

DesertPrincess is offline

Kingofpirates56: Robin?  
Bookworm777: I've said it once and I'll say it again…you should give him a chance, maybe it'll end up being fun

Kingofpirates56: Why is it that whenever I want a realistic answer people keep giving me an optimistic one?  
Bookworm777: Because it's the right one

Kingofpirates56: (sigh) Whatever, see ya later Robin

Signing out…

I let out a loud angry sigh, kicking the wooden desk out in front of me. As you may have guessed, I am not in a good mood right now. Having to meet up with my Grandpa was bad enough…but this? This was some form of torture. With another sigh, I close my eyes and think back to a few minutes ago when I was first plunged into this nightmare.

* * *

"_AN A-? THAT'S MY BOY!" Grandpa Garp congratulated happily, pulling me into one of his back breaking embraces._

"_GRAMPS? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I asked, my eyes widening in complete surprise. I really didn't expect (nor particularly want) to see my Grandpa today._

"_CAN'T I JUST VISIT MY FAVOURITE GRANDSONS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!"_

"_I'd like to remind you me and Ace are your ONLY Grandsons 'in the whole wide…" I began to mock, only for Gramps to whack me over the head "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"_

"_ME AND ACE? THE CORRECT GRAMATICAL TERM WOULD BE 'Ace and I'. NO WONDER YOU GOT THAT A IN SCIENCE AND NOT IN ENGLISH! BWAHAHAHA!" Gramps responded. I growled, nursing my hurt head with my hands. I wondered whether or not it was possible to just develop invisibility from my supposed mutation right now…yeah, that'd be cool…_

"_Luffy, get in here" Gramps yelled as he strolled back into the living room "Ace is waiting here so we can all have a family chat"_

"_You can't pick your family" I mumbled angrily "but you should be able to in order to avoid times like this…" Never the less, I followed Gramps into the living room where, as he had said, Ace was waiting. He didn't look pleased…not at all…_

_We exchanged a nod of the head as I entered and, with a sigh, I plopped down next to him on the couch. Gramps laughed happily as we sat together._

"_LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ALL JUST ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY NOW!" he shouted with joy._

"_Garp, do you mind being a bit quieter?" Makino called from the kitchen "I can hear you all the way over here…"_

"_SORRY MAKINO! WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN!" he continued to yell._

"_Loudmouth" Ace mumbled under his breath._

"_Anyway, you two, I've just come to see how you guys are going right now. After all, it's been too long since we last saw each other" Gramps said with a wide grin._

"_Not long enough if you ask me" I mumbled to Ace, who gave a small nod in agreement. Luckily, Gramps didn't seem to notice and turned towards Ace with a grin._

"_Well since we already know about Luffy and his great grades, I was wondering what was happening with you at your job"_

"_Nothing" Ace replied simply, scratching his cheeks in boredom._

"_Oh come on Ace, something exciting must have happened, it's been over three weeks since we last talked" Gramps reasoned, staring at Ace intently.  
"Maybe my job's just boring" Ace lazily replied. At this comment, Gramps burst into laughter.  
"Right, a job as a fire fighter is boring! I can see you get your old Grandpa's sense of humour!" Ace shuddered at this and glared at the old man angrily "What about you Luffy? Anything new happening with you?" I shook my head "So you've still not got a girlfriend have you?" I growled angrily, shuffling in my seat so I was looking away from Grandpa "I'll take that as a no"_

"_You can take that as a 'mind your own business'" I replied bitterly. Ace gave me a stern glare at this but, surprisingly; Gramps just seemed to laugh it off._

"_I understand" he said "we men often have subjects we don't want to talk about"_

"_So…how is your job going?" Ace asked._

"_That is one of those subjects I don't want to talk about" Gramps responded, his eyes moving to look at the floor._

"_Caught any criminals lately or has that Scarlet super hero guy been doing it all for you?" I finally said, turning to face Gramps with a sly grin. You have no idea how happy it made me to see his cheeks turn red with embarrassment at the question._

_Usually, I didn't like talking about my secret identity when I was 'off duty'…but I found it oddly satisfying to rub in the fact that Scarlet was doing a lot better than Gramps in the crook catching department._

"_THAT JOKER IS A MENACE TO SOCIETY!" Gramps exclaimed angrily "It seems like everyone's just forgotten about how that criminal was acting a few months ago when he first showed up. HE PUT FIVE OF MY BEST MEN IN THE HOSPITAL!"_

"_People make mistakes…people can change" I mumbled, my heart breaking at the mention of 'that' time. I suddenly found I couldn't look Gramps in the eye._

"_Change is alright…but REFORM is better!" Gramps grumbled, banging his fist on the arms of his chair "if someone steals from a shop and then starts buying from the shop later, that doesn't mean he's absolved of his guilt for robbing the shop in the first place"_

"_Well, what if the thief was giving something back to the shop?" I asked, glaring fiercely at Gramps._

"_Then the shopkeeper would still have the right to bring him to justice…" he replied, glaring back at me._

"_But what if…" I began, only for Ace to interrupt._

"_Can we stop it with the extended metaphors guys? It's making my head hurt…"the raven haired man yelled. With a groan, both I and Gramps nodded._

"_You're right Ace…besides; we shouldn't be talking about things like that. This is a family discussion and no vigilante in tights will change that" Gramps said "besides…I've come to talk to you because of one main important reason…" Both I and Ace exchanged glances before turning to face Gramps once more._

"_Tomorrow, the three of us are going to have a family outing together! What do you say?"_

* * *

Of course we're not heartless and me and Ace…sorry, Ace and I said that we would…but let's be honest now. Garp is possibly the world's worst grandpa.

When I was little, Gramps was looking after me, Ace and Sabo whilst Makino and Shanks celebrated their honeymoon. We spent four days with him…

And I will honestly say without a doubt that those four days were the worst four days in my whole life…and they'll probably remain the worst days of my life till the day I die.

I thought Lucci was bad?

Gramps was like sixty of Lucci…

If Lucci could shoot laser beams from his eyes…

And he was twelve feet tall…

In fact, Gramps wasn't even comparable to Lucci in anyway.

If whatever gang leader had sent Lucci after me wanted me well and truly dead, he should have sent Gramps to do it!

Sabo got off easy, seeing as he was the oldest and had managed to get a date with a girl who worked at a shop near Grandpa's home, so he was gone most of the four days.

I and Ace on the other hand were put through four days of hell, the likes of which I could never have imagined…

But enough about that…

The point was that Gramps was senile, to the point of almost insanity.

He was good sometimes, I'll admit (mostly around Christmas or Birthdays) and you could tell he loved us to bits (and we loved him too)…but most of the time; he acted like a drill sergeant in the army. Gramps had literally invented the word 'strict'.

Plus, when he was trying to be (what did he call it?) 'hip' and 'funky fresh' he was the single most embarrassing person in the universe which is why I was looking for a way out of hanging around with him tomorrow.

Unfortunately, all of my friends are TREACHEROUS CRUEL COLD HEARTED SCOUNDRELS!

At that moment, the door swung open and I sharply look up to see Ace of all people standing in the doorway.

"Any luck?" I ask…no, I PLEAD. Ace shakes his head mournfully.

"Sorry bro, we're on our own this time. Marco's got a date tomorrow and Jozu is planning on getting so hung over tonight, he won't be able to stand. Plus, Nojiko told me it would be best to go on this meeting. She said it would be fun…"  
"Same with Robin" I mutter angrily "Has Nojiko ever met Gramps?" Ace shook his head "then that makes even more sense"

"You two are really blowing this out of proportion" a sweet feminine voice says from nearby. Both I and Ace turn around to glare at Makino, who was smiling at us from the landing.

"I AM NOT SPEAKING TO YOU!" I reply loudly. Makino chuckles at my rage and fakes an innocent expression.

"Why not?" she asks calmly.

"YOU KNOW WHY! WHAT KIND OF A MOTHER ALLOWS HER CHILD, WHO IS GROUNDED I MAY REMIND YOU, TO GO OUT ON THE WEEKEND? Shame on you Makino! You should be punishing me! You know, by forcing me to stay in all day, instead of letting me go out and have 'fun' with Gramps!" I plead, leaping out of my chair and clutching Makino's leg, whilst I give her my best puppy dog eyes. Makino's smile widens and she laughs again.

"Oh, well…I suppose I have been hard on you recently. That's why I'm going easy on you…" she says, before turning to walk towards her bedroom.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" I yell, grabbing her leg once more as she leaves "I'VE LEARNT MY LESSON! I'M SORRY! I'LL NEVER COME IN LATE AGAIN…JUST DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS FAMILY BONDING WITH GRANDPA! PLEASE I BEG OF YOU!" Makino laughs louder this time, carefully getting out of my leg hold. As she did so, she turns to walk away…only to be once more grabbed around the leg, this time by Ace.

"WHAT ABOUT ME? I'M INNOCENT IN ALL OF THIS!" he cries mournfully. Makino's evil smirk returns once more as Ace says this.

"I'm sending you with Garp to learn some humility and some modesty…especially after last week…" At the words 'last week', Ace tenses up but still acts dumb.

"What do you mean? What happened last week?" he asks with a nervous laugh.

"You don't remember when I came home with Kiwi and Mozu last Sunday because we were going to have lunch together and we found you lying on the sofa asleep"  
"A man should be able to relax in his own home…" Ace mumbles.

"You were butt-naked" Makino reminds him with a glare. For a moment, the room is silent, before Ace smiles.

"Did they like what they saw?"

I held in a laugh as Makino pulled her leg out of Ace's grasp without bothering to reply. I shake my head at Ace and then walk into my own room. Once there, I flop on my bed. Suddenly, I feel a lot more depressed than I was before. I was going to be spending a whole day with Gramps tomorrow. I had already spent about two hours with him today and my head was already aching from all his grammar corrections. Lazily, I glance towards the clock. It's just around half past seven. I'll need to kill a few hours before going to bed…and seeing as though Makino's got me grounded, I can't try and sneak out tonight to do some more heroics. With a loud sigh, I turned on the radio nearby and then lay back down on my bed, with one major thought on my mind.

Tomorrow was going to suck.

* * *

"Luffy…"  
I groan and roll over. My eyes remain closed as I do so. It's a Saturday right? Meaning, I shouldn't be waking up yet...

I wonder what we'll have for Breakfast?

"LUFFY"  
The voice gets louder. Wearily, I open one of my eyes. My vision is blurred and I can barely make out anything. Whoever it is who's standing over my bed, they have a long white beard and they're wearing red…

Now I know I'm definitely dreaming…

"Not now Santa, it's Saturday" I grumbled, allowing myself to fall gently back onto my bed. My eye closes and I give a content sigh.

"MONKEY D. LUFFY, FRONT AND CENTRE!"

"Make me asshole" I slur, blinking as light shines on my face. Someone pulled back the curtains. It's sunny. What time of year is it? It feels sort of a weak sun…is it around Autumn? Must be…

My fractured thoughts are suddenly silenced quite quickly as a large force hits the side of my head. With a loud shout, I fall onto the floor, eyes wide open. I'm in my room. I can tell by the wallpaper, which is a bland beige sort of colour. My blue carpet is what I'm currently resting my head on. It looks a bit messy. With a groan, I look upwards. Gramps is standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing here dickhead?" I grumble, still half asleep.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO YOUR GRANDFATHER!" Grandpa yells, whacking me across the head and instantly waking me up.

"Gramps? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I ask, eyes widening with fear.

"FOR THE START OF OUR FAMILY DAYOUT OF COURSE!" Gramps exclaims with a smile.

Right then and there I REALLY wanted to drop dead on the floor…

Angrily, I glance at the clock.

"It's six thirty in the morning…" I moan, rubbing my eyes.

"EXACTLY!" Garp shouts "I THOUGHT I'D TAKE US ALL OUT TO BREAKFAST…"

"Be quiet old man, Makino's still sleeping" Ace's voice whispers from nearby. I look around Gramps and my raven haired brother is standing there, still in his underwear and nursing a bruise on his head. I knew why that was…

"Right…" Gramps whispers in reply with a quiet laugh "Luffy, get dressed now! Ace, you too!"

"What about having a shower?" I ask. In truth, I'm faking interest in that infernal chamber of water, soap and doom. I'm just trying to buy some time so I didn't have to spend as long with Gramps.

"Idiot!" the old bearded man barks, whacking me over the head "We don't have time for that. Just get dressed, spray some deodorant and you'll be golden" With a loud sigh, I stand to my feet, shuddering slightly as I begin to lose balance. I stumble over to my wardrobe, quickly pulling the doors open before searching for clothes. I make sure as I take off my underwear from last night, to fling the pair in Gramp's face.

"Ever heard of privacy?" I asked. Gramps grunted and turned his back to me.

"So, why are we getting up so early?" I ask, fishing into an open draw to retrieve a new pair of boxers.

"I told you, we're heading off to get some breakfast" Gramps repeats.

"Yeah…but why are we getting up so early to get breakfast?" I question once more, pulling on a blue t-shirt. The white numbers of fifty-six are emblazoned on the shirt.

"Because Dadan stops serving breakfast at ten!" My eyes widen and I can tell that Ace is a little shocked as well.

"We're going to see Aunt Dadan?" Ace asks for me, as I slip on a pair of dark jeans, the weather being too cold for shorts "but her diner is all the way over the other side of town? Isn't that an hour and a half ride just to get there?"  
"And now you know why I got you up so early" Gramps says with a grin, tapping his nose knowingly with his finger "It'll take about an hour and a half to get there for Breakfast, two tops if the traffic is bad"  
"IT'S SIX IN THE MORNING!" I chime in with a growl, slipping socks onto my feet "WHAT TRAFFIC ARE WE GOING TO RUN INTO?"

"We may find out if you don't HURRY UP!"

"CAN YOU GUYS SHUT UP?" Makino's voice suddenly yells from her room "SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF BEAUTY SLEEP!"

"Please Makino, you don't need it anyway" Ace says with a sly smile. A growl is the reply he receives. With a loud sigh, I shut the door revealing myself to be now wearing a dark jacket.

"Let's get going then" I say, pushing Gramps out of my room. As I'm about to leave, however, I stop, spotting the bag with my new Scarlet costume inside. After a small moment of hesitation, I look over to Gramp's, who is still waiting for Ace to get ready.

Silently, I reach over grabbing the bag and haul it onto my right shoulder. Part of me was begging and pleading that I shouldn't do this. After all, if Ace or Gramps looked inside my bag, my double life would be over. They'd know who I was. Gramps in particular would be pissed. He'd probably lock me up and throw away the key without hesitation. That was the kind of man he was. He knew that in the police line of work your own personal matters should come second over the matters of others and despite how much I would disagree with Gramps on other things, I had always respected he had a responsibility to serve and protect the community and he couldn't play favourites, even with his own grandson.

Unfortunately, my sense of precaution was disregarded mainly due to one fact.

Like Gramps had a responsibility to put other people's safety and happiness before his, I was going to do the same. If something did happen today, like a bank robbery or any other kind of crime, I had to be ready to step in and help.

"I'll go wait downstairs" I say. Gramps nods, still looking towards Ace's closed door.

"It's for the best. You know how Ace is when he tries getting ready" Gramps replies.

"I heard that…" Ace replies with a growl. I chuckle at this and then quickly walk down the stairs. I didn't know how much time I had so I quickly slipped out of the house and headed over to Garp's car. Of course, despite the fact that Garp was part of the police force, he still hadn't learned the basic rule that when you have a car YOU LOCK IT! Personally, I think Garp was counting on the fact that his car was so old and troublesome to handle that if anyone did try and steal it, they'd give up halfway. Luckily, seeing as the car is unlocked, I can slip in the bag with my costume inside into the boot of the car without anyone spotting. After I had done this, I quickly made my way back into the house and stood at the foot of the stairs, watching as a now fully dressed and irritated Ace and Gramps walk down the stairs towards me.

"BYE MAKINO!" Garp shouts as he walks down waving at the wall. Makino grunts in response, probably rolling over onto her other side.

It may be cruel of me…but I'm glad she's suffering a little too…

As I leave the house, following after Garp and Ace, I pull out my mobile and as fast as I can I text a single word and then forward it to Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin and Vivi before I get into Gramp's car.

They should be woken up now all over the city by a single word…

'Traitors!'

Like I said, I'm not going to suffer through this alone…

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

I wonder if this was exactly what it felt like to be a fish out of water. As soon as I enter the room, everyone looks towards me, their eyes trained to my features, as if they were analysing me. Not allowing my confidence to falter, I calmly stroll towards the main office, ignoring the questioning looks I get from other people in the room. When I reached it, I freeze for a second before knocking on the door again.

This is it. My first step into journalism starts here, at the door marked 'Shiki G. Lion'. I really have to thank Bellemere later for getting me this job. I would have had a really tough time trying to get into becoming a journalist otherwise if she hadn't had this connection. Believe it or not, I also need to thank Luffy. His text this morning actually woke me and that allowed me to get ready for the day ahead. Before opening the door in front of me, I look down once more at my attire, a casual blue shirt with a light blue tie and my usual skirt. No wonder I was getting looks.

Bellemere was right.

I really did have no modesty, did I?

With a small sigh, I open the door, stepping confidently into Shiki's office. As I do so, Shiki's head immediately looks up, his eyes flaring to life. It looks like he was reading his own paper.

Bellemere was right again.

This guy did have a HUGE ego.

"Ah Nami!" Shiki says happily with a wide grin "so glad you could come and join us and may I say, it is an honour to have you here working with us"

"Oh trust me, the pleasure is all mine" I say politely, gripping Shiki's hand in a firm handshake.

"That's what I like to hear in a young lady like yourself. Someone kind and polite, you'll fit in well here. Now, you must be aware that usually I wouldn't give someone this new to my employ on a case such as this…but, unfortunately, none of the photographers on our payroll are really fond of working with Indigo" I stare at Shiki confused for a moment.

"Indigo?" I ask. Shiki sighs and raises a hand to me.

"Trust me, you don't want to know" he replies with a shake of his head "the point is that I need a freelance photographer to go with him on our latest scoop. You see (rather unfortunately) Indigo is one of the best reporters in this place, don't ask me how though. You can work a camera, right kid?" I nod in reply, still a little bemused "Good" Shiki says with a grin "you'll be perfect then Nami. All you have to help Indigo complete a report, a special project I've personally given him, based around one of our town's biggest celebrities" With a smile, Shiki then flips over the newspaper on his desk, revealing today's headline to me. Ironically, despite me always reading the paper, I haven't seen today's copy and so, obviously, I am slightly shocked by the front of the newspaper. Of course, the title of the 'Grand Line Times' is at the top of the paper but it's relatively small, seeing as how the picture encompasses the whole of the front page. In the centre of the picture, there's a red silhouette of a face, whilst the bottom of the picture manages to barely show the silhouette's proud broad shoulders and chest. The silhouette was patterned by an odd mask design coloured in white. Despite the odd pattern, I recognise it immediately. Above the red man's silhouetted crimson locks, there is a large red object over his head, sort of like a hat. Either side of this silhouette image was a white outline, followed by a black background. If the image itself didn't fulfil its purpose, then the black question mark over the face certainly hinted strongly at what today's top article was about. At the bottom of the picture, white letters were positioned, posing a simple question.

"Who is the Scarlet Wind?"

"You've found out who he is?" I ask, suddenly feeling a little lightheaded for some reason. Shiki laughs at my question but quickly recovers.

"Unfortunately, no…" he replies "But, we have just issued a reward for ANY information regarding him…however, every word we've been told so far has just been hecklers or people playing practical jokes…I still don't understand why they were asking for a Mike Crotch. I asked everyone in the office if they'd seen Mike Crotch recently but all they did was start laughing. Not sure why…" I held in a laugh and shook my head.

"I don't get it either sir…" I mumble, hiding the sly smile on my face. Shiki nods and then, his gaze wanders behind me.

"Looks like Indigo's finally here" he says, gesturing me to side aside. I do and almost immediately, the door opens and a man walks in through the door I was standing nearby. I've seen a lot of crazy things but THIS was definitely high up the list. As it turned out, Indigo is a tall man. He easily towers over me as he walks in the room (plus I think something's wrong with his shoes because I keep hearing this awful squeaking/farting sound). He's dressed in a long white coat of some kind and underneath, he wore a pair of blue suspenders and a white shirt underneath. His face also had a weird pattern to it, painted in a way so it made Indigo look like a mime. I was starting to see why this guy was so difficult to work with…

"Hello Shiki, you're looking well today" Indigo shouts with a low bow.

"Yes yes Indigo, it's good to see you too…NOW, I'd like to introduce you to Miss Nami here. She is going to be your new photographer" Shiki says, pointing towards me. I wave at Indigo and he smiles at me in return.

"Hello Sami"  
"Nami" I correct him, holding out a hand for him to shake.

"So it is! Piro-piro-piro!" Indigo laughs distinctly as he grabs my hand with such force that I actually wince.

"Indigo, show Nami here the ropes, she's an up and coming reporter, a general prodigy from what I've seen from her articles in the school paper"

"You've read my school paper articles from last year?" I ask, a smile coming to my lips. I admit I feel quite happy about the editor of a paper actually reading my article and considering it as good as he's saying.

"Well of course, why else do you think I even considered that deal with Bellemere to get you a job here?" Shiki asks "To be honest, if you were some random girl off the street with no skill at all, I would have dropped you faster than that diet I tried last month…but what I read showed promise! That's why I got you a job here kid, because you had skill, flare but, you've got to start somewhere. Feel lucky that I managed to pull some strings so you're working with Indigo in the field instead of being locked up in some stuffy office all day rearranging files"

"Yes sir, thank you" I reply bowing slightly.

"Remember though you two, if you can, get me news on that Scarlet Wind. That freak sells papers and we need to sell papers!" Shiki exclaims with a laugh "Yesterday, we published a paper about his fights with that leopard guy and the amount of copies we sold at the news-stands was through the roof! We don't want to lose such a following so soon now do we?" With that Shiki smiles and spins around on his chair.

"Don't worry sir" I say with an encouraging smile "you won't regret…"  
"What? You're still here? GET GOING NAMI AND GET ME THOSE PHOTOS!" Shiki shouts loudly. Quickly, I nod and race out of the room, following Indigo along to the elevator. As we walk, I hazard a glance backwards towards Shiki, who seems to be ranting and raving at a large gorilla looking man to get him some coffee. So that's the true Shiki? Loud mouthed and brash?

Suddenly, all those stories Bellemere told me about Shiki were making a lot more sense.

However, it's not like I can complain. After all, it's my first day on the job and things are already going quite smoothly...

I just wonder where on earth I'm going to find the Scarlet Wind at this time of today?

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

I suddenly sneeze loudly, attracting Ace and Gramp's attention.

"LUFFY! COVER YOUR MOUTH WHEN YOU SNEEZE!" Gramp shouts as he bangs me across the head.

"Sorry" I mumble rubbing my sir head, ignoring the stares I'm getting from all of the people around us. To be honest, I don't know what Gramps is complaining about. After all, today I've been through much worse than him. Breakfast at Dadan's was good and, since she was an old friend of the family, I was glad I got a chance to see her again. Luckily, she understand what a day with Gramps really meant so that's why she managed to slip Ace and I an extra rash of bacon in our meals (for good luck, she said). After we had effectively destroyed the food that Dadan had placed on our plates, getting weird looks from passers by as we did so, Gramps then dragged I and Ace off for some 'family time'. It turned out Gramps had really thought things out seeing that on the day we were going out, there was actually a fun fair passing through town and so we went there for the day. Garp kept telling us to have play the side carnival games, which usually involved hitting targets with balls.

"Hand eye co-ordination will be good for when you're a police officer Luffy" he'd say to me as he threw the ball, smashing a whole straight through the target. Of course, I replied that I didn't want to be in the police…only for Gramps to whack me on the head again and grumble at my insolence. Ace managed to win a prize from one of the stands, a large and fluffy shark plushie he wanted to give to Nojiko. There was no doubt we all looked a sight with the three of us walking down the street, Ace with a huge toy shark on his shoulder and I and Gramps arguing at every turn about almost anything.

"Ketchup!" I yelled and Gramps would say 'MUSTARD!"

"Red!" I said and Gramps would reply with 'BLUE!"

I admit it was good getting all my frustration out on the old man. It was relaxing in a rather odd way.

It wasn't like I was having fun with him though, I wasn't…

Seriously, I wasn't enjoying myself in the slightest!

That much anyway…

"Hello sirs, can I take your order?" At the sound of the voice, I immediately look up to see a woman standing over us. She has long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and light green eyes. The neon pink highlights in her hair are the first thing to catch my eye however.

"Thank you my dear" Gramps greets her with a laugh "I'll have your finest meat feast pizza for me and my grandsons here" The girl nods and looks down at me and Ace for a second. It's as if she's feeling sorry for us.

"Of course sir, coming right up. Can I get you some drinks whilst you're waiting?" she asks with another smile.

"A water just for me thank you Miss" Gramps says with a wide grinning smile.

"Coke" I and Ace mutter unanimously. The girl quickly scribbles down our orders and then smiles before scuttling over towards the kitchen. I notice Ace taking a peek at her retreating figure as she does so. The second she's out of sight, Gramps kicks me and Ace under the table.

"WHERE WAS A THANK YOU FOR THAT NICE LADY?" Gramps asks with a growl "I THOUGHT I TAUGHT YOU TOO BETTER THAN THAT!"  
"We learn by example Old Man! KICKING US UNDER THE TABLE ISN'T GOING TO TEACH US A LESSON!" Ace groans, kicking Gramps back, causing the old man to wince.

"MAYBE I'M NOT KICKING HARD ENOUGH THEN!" Gramps replies and before I know it, Ace and Gramps are engaged in a foot wrestling competition, trying to stamp each others foot into the ground. We were currently sitting at a table in one of Garp's favourite bars in town. The place has a friendly atmosphere about it, with people all of all ages sitting down having a meal. The bar is quite big but the lighting was pretty dull, except for the karaoke stage, which was the main attraction for patrons today. Currently, there's a woman up there singing Cee Lo Green's 'Forget You' as loud as she can down the microphone, hoping it would equate to an actual tone.

She was failing at it so far…

As the woman finishes her song and goes to sit down, a man comes to the stage and grabs the microphone.

"Thanks Aika for that…different take on a great song. Now, as you all know, it's a Karaoke fun day today where all proceeds go to Charity so if you have a song you want to sing, just go up to the desk, register your time slot and give in a donation of five beri's for your chance to sing on stage" I chuckle slightly at the very idea. I know it was for charity but seriously, a Karaoke day? What sort of idiot would actually sign up for that thing?

"Anyway" the man says, clearing his throat "the next singer on stage will be…Monkey D. Garp" My mouth drops open and I can hear Ace choking on his drink. Gramps laughs at this and stands up from his seat.

"Excuse me you two, I have an audience to perform too" he says before walking towards the stage.

"He's not…" I mumble my eyes wide with disbelief.

"He…he is…" Ace replies, his own face matching mine.

"Ace…"  
"Luffy…this is going to be the single most embarrassing yet also the funniest thing I will ever see in my life" Ace says, laughing loudly. Even I find myself laughing at this.

"He's seriously going to…this will be hilarious" I admit, chuckling between words. Finally, Gramps takes his spot on stage and gives a low bow. There's applause,

"Thank you! How is everyone doing today!" Gramps asks. Everyone cheers back at him in reply, Ace and I cheering louder than anyone else "Good to hear" Gramps continues "This song is dedicated to my two amazing Grandkids, who I haven't seen in such a long time" The people in the bar give him an 'aw' before letting him carry on. I can feel my face going red as people turn to look at me and even Ace scratches his cheek with an awkward grin. Gramps chuckles again and then begins to twirl around the microphone cord in his hand.

"This is an oldie but goodie from back in the Eighties by the legendary duo 'Hall and Oates'" Gramps announces "called 'You Make My Dreams Come True'" Some of the older people in the bar give a cheer but some of the younger members of the audience merely looked at each other in confusion. Ace and I find ourselves one of them, sharing an odd glance before turning our attention back to Garp.

"He's singing something from the Eighties?" I ask Ace.

"I know, this is gonna be good!" Ace replies, already laughing up a storm before Gramps even starts. Speaking of Gramps, he points to the woman behind the bar and she nods, pressing the play button on the karaoke machine as the music begins to play. From the start of the melody, it's obvious this is an old song because of the rhythmic blues melody containing elements of rock. Personally though, the music isn't the thing I'm paying attention to. What I'm more interested in is the fact that Gramps is singing (and dancing) to it. The crowd laughs as Gramps starts shuffling around the stage doing what is possible the worst dancing I've ever seen in my life with his arms pumping up and down and his legs shimmying from side to side with the music before he stops and starts singing.

"~_What I want, you got and it might be hard to handle!~"_

"_~BUT LIKE A FLAME BURNS THE CANDLE, THE CANDLE FEEDS THE FLAME_!~" Gramps sings loudly. Surprisingly, I think he's actually not that bad a singer and as he keeps singing, I can't help but smile widely and laugh.

Okay, maybe I'm enjoying my day with the old man just a little…

Of course, it's at that joyous moment that my phone started to ring. Quizzically, I fish my hand into my bag, brushing against my Scarlet mask before finding and pulling out my mobile. Makino's name comes up on the caller ID. With a small sigh, I tap Ace's shoulder and show him the phone. He nods when he sees the number and then returns to clapping along with the song with a smile. I shake my head with a large grin and quickly make my way out of the room so I can answer my phone. In the entrance hall to the bar, the music is slightly less noisy out here and seeing as there's a public pay phone in the room, I suppose it must be quiet enough to talk to someone.

"Hello" I say, answering the mobile with a grin.

"_Hey Luffy, how's everything going today?_" Makino's voice asks over the phone.

"It's…alright…I guess" I mumble with a smile.

"_Good to hear you're enjoying yourself_" Makino replies.

"I never said I was enjoying myself" I quickly correct her "I'm just tolerating it"  
"_Sure you are…._" Makino mumbles with a chuckle. I sigh loudly and I'm about to reply when, suddenly, I notice someone storm in through the front door. I wasn't sure who the person was but whoever it was, he certainly looked worried. Almost immediately, he walked over towards the pay phone and began dialling in a number. At first, I'm not interested in what he was saying (I'm not that nosy) but from the first sentence spoken, the call captures my interest.

"Hello, is this is the police? Oh thank god, I need help! It's horrible! A bunch of criminals are robbing a jewellery store on Amber Street. Please, you have to get here as soon as possible!" By the end of the call, I can't help but sigh.

"_Luffy? Are you there?_" Makino's voice calls from the other side of the phone.

"Yeah. Sorry Makino but I think I have to get going. It's something important" Luffy groaned angrily

"_Er…okay, bye Luffy" _Makino mumbles notably feeling a little awkward at how I am suddenly hanging up on her for no reason. I mumble a quick farewell down the phone then, as soon as I hang up, I run out of the door as fast as I can, heading straight towards Gramp's car. Luckily, once again, Garp had failed to lock his car (again, thank god for his forgetful nature). I quickly pulled open the car boot, grabbed the bag that had my Scarlet costume inside and made my way straight towards a nearby alleyway.

I guess heroes never get a day off…

* * *

"FLASHY FOOLS! GET TO WORK! LOAD ALL THE GOODS INTO THE VAN! MOVE IT!" Buggy yells loudly. Right behind him are Mohji and Cabaji, who both walk out of the back door of the Jewellers carrying sacks full of what I can only imagine were the stolen gems.

"This is amazing Captain Buggy!" Mohji says with a grin.

"Yeah" Cabaji agrees "we've got ourselves a pretty big score, haven't we?"

"Save the flashy celebrating till later men!" Buggy commands "remember why we're here…"  
"But boss, the guy's not gonna show!" Mohji reasons "it's been ten minutes and if he's not here yet, then he just won't be coming. Let's get out of here with the payload!"  
"Payload? No, I want payback" Buggy replies "and you should to you flashily idiot! Now, I suggest you finish up over there…"  
"Excuse me!" I call from above, startling the trio of criminals there and causing them to look up at me "if you're going to be taking that, I'll need to see a receipt!"  
"THE SCARLET WIND!" Mohji and Cabji bellow, dropping the sacks they're carrying (causing each one to fall on Buggy's feet). The clown lets out a loud irritated scream before pulling out a pair of pistols and aiming them towards me.

"DON'T YOU EVER FLASHILY GIVE UP?" he shouts before firing a hail of bullets towards me.

"Of course not!" I reply, leaping down from the street lamp I was perched on and landing on the street, dodging the shots fired by Buggy in the process "Why else do you think I'm Dawn city's number one superhero?"

"Because you're the only one…soon to be the dead one, this city has ever head" Mohji spoke up, removing a SMG from his pocket and joining in on the shooting spree. With a lazy smile, I jump upwards, stretching an arm to grab hold of the fire escape walkway above the alley, using it to swing over the group of thieves.

"Oh come on Mohji! That's your best shot? Someone really needs to go back to shooting ducks at the fair" I taunt, kicking off the wall and flying into Mohji, kicking him in the face and sending him to the ground. As I land on the floor, I hear the click of a pocket knife unfurling and step backwards just in time to dodge Cabaji as he takes a stab at me.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it was dangerous to play with knives?" I mumble, ducking under another one of his slashes and elbowing him in the gut. Cabaji let out a groan and fell to the floor, unconscious. Buggy is the only one left now. He panics for a second before revealing a set of two knives, holding one in each hand. Seeing him holding the cold steel makes me shiver from an unpleasant memory.

"Buggy…put the knife down…" I mutter, gesturing to him with my right hand. Buggy cackles loudly at this.

"Oh yes and then let you take me back to prison? I don't think so!" he retorts angrily.  
"Buggy…the last time you held a knife people got hurt" I remind him.  
"Brings back memories, doesn't it Scarlet?" he taunts with a grin. I don't reply. It did. It brought back very unpleasant memories "the scars run deep, don't they?"  
"Some scars heal" I mutter "but they never will if you keep living in the past like this…"  
"I'm not living in the past!" Buggy responds bitterly "I'm looking for the future! I'm going to steal my way to the top, get rich beyond my wildest dreams and get EVERYTHING I deserve and get revenge on everyone who ever stood in my way" I sigh sadly.

"Alright Buggy…but don't say I didn't give you a chance…" I mutter, before shooting forward my fist at lightning speed. Before Buggy can dodge, the fist connects to his face, sending him flying against the wall. Buggy lets out a loud groan of pain and I walk over to him, kicking the two knives he dropped away from him with my foot.

"Alright then, you three stooges are beaten" I say with a grin "what's wrong? No Galdino today?" Oddly enough, Buggy laughs at the question.

"Oh…he's here, in the truck actually…" the clown says with a chuckle. Suddenly, I feel very uneasy. Never the less, however, I walk over towards the back of the van. The doors are closed and on closer inspection, it looks as if there's something really heavy inside, seeing as how the wheels at the back of the van deflate a little. Buggy must have really been doing a crime spree to get THAT much stuff in there.

"Alright Galdino!" I call, gripping hold of the rear doors to the van with both hands "come out with your hands up and I won't have to…" My speech is interrupted as suddenly, a force hits the door, causing them to fly of their hinges and hit me backwards. I let out a loud groan as this happened, barely having enough time to flip the doors over me before they crush me into the ground.

"What the hell was that?" I ask, looking up towards the van. My eyes widen as I do so. The back of the van is ripped apart and now, towering over me was a large purple suit of armour. The shoulder pads were covered in spikes and two long and thick red boxing gloves were sticking out of the circular shoulder pads as hands. In the middle of the armour, I see a familiar face.

"Galdino?" I mutter, immediately jumping to my feet. I can tell by the man's loud and boisterous laugh that it is indeed Galdino.

"You could say that Scarlet…but now, I feel as though I need a new name, due to this new found power. Call me…WAXWORK!"

I know I'm staring down a giant right now…

I know that he just had the strength to break open two steel doors with enough force o send them flying…

I know all that…

But I still can't help but laugh loudly!  
"Waxwork? Seriously? I mean I know I had to name my last super-villain but I didn't think that was going to be a running theme!" I bellow loudly, launching into a loud streak of laughter. Surprisingly, Galdino laughs a long.

"Ah well…I suppose it is a silly name…but that doesn't matter, you see…" Galdino paused for a moment. My eyes widen as the right and left fist's on his large suit of armour begins to pulsate, as if morphing into something else. In truth, that is exactly what the boxing gloves on each hand was doing, transforming themselves into two large drills.

"It's really clothes that make the man after all…" Galdino mutters, grinning happily as the drills begin to spin.

As Waxwork begins to bound towards me, each step sounding like an earthquake, I suddenly get the feeling that whenever I say something struck me like a tonne of bricks, I think I'll now have something to compare it to…

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 2: Catalyst Act 3**_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	8. Chapter 2: Catalysts Act 3

_**Hello everyone, it is I, Shadowonthewall6, back with yet again another chapter of the Scarlet Wind and a brand new totally awesome profile picture.**_

_**This chapter is probably the longest chapter I've done yet in the Scarlet Wind so I hope you all enjoy it.**_

_**Also, at the suggestion of Llaelien, a reviewer from Search the Wind, I have decided to allow anonymous reviews for my stories.**_

_**So I hope you all enjoy this latest part of Scarlet Wind.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Catalysts Act 3**_

_**Garp P.O.V**_

"_~JUST A SMALL TOWN GIRL, LIVING IN A LONELY WORLD!~" _I yell into the microphone, tapping my foot on the floor and spreading my arms wide.

"_~SHE TOOK THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN GOING ANYWHERE!~"_ The crowd yelled shouts of applause as my co-singer stepped into the spotlight, winking at all the girls in the bar.

"_~JUST A CITY BOY, BORN AND RAISED IN SOUTH DETROIT!~" _Ace sings, before, spreading his legs and beckoning to the crowd with his index finger, bobbing up and down as he did so.

"_~HE TOOK THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN GOING ANYWHERE!~" _It's times like these when I'm glad to be with my grandsons. It reminds me why I wanted to become a police officer and what I'm fighting for. However, despite how happy I am, I'm still a little sad that my other grandson isn't here though. Luffy went outside a while ago to talk to Makino on the phone and he was still outside when I grabbed Ace and dragged him onto the stage. That boy really does worry me. He's been so distant recently and even today, it seems like something else is on his mind. Then again, Luffy is a mature and sensible young man…

Well he's a young man anyway and that means he's old enough to make his own decisions in the world. He's got a good head on his shoulders… and whilst the cat is away, the mice will play.

"_~A SINGER IN A SMOKEY ROOM~" _Ace and I sing together in a strangely chaotic harmony _"~A SMELL OF WINE AND CHEAP PERFUME! FOR A SMILE THEY CAN SHARE THE NIGHT, IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON AND ONNN~"_ Once more, the group of people in the bar burst into applause. For some reason, they were really enjoying the sight of us singing and dancing like idiots…

Maybe Luffy can wait a little longer...

Besides, how much trouble could he get into?

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

Unbelievable pain echoes out from my back as I slam straight through the small brick wall, shattering the brick wall to pieces. I let out a howl of pain as I hit the floor. I think that blow might have cracked a few of my ribs but I couldn't tell to be honest. All of the pain from Predator AND all the pain from Galdino's punch suddenly flows into my body and I let out another loud growl. PAIN KILLERS! Where the FUCK are my pain killers right now? A loud honking sound draws me back to consciousness and I realise I'm in the middle of the road. With all the strength I have, I kick hard against the wall, pushing with my hands off the wall, using the momentum from Galdino's attack to carry me over the road. Luckily, it works and I manage to dodge the car that races past. I manage to land on the pavement on the other side of the road and I'm sure I manage to shock some shoppers but, to be honest, I don't really care. I'm too hurt to care. WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY PAIN KILLERS? I quickly search the side pockets of my costume and remove the pain killers which Bellemere gave me. I removed a pill and quickly plopped it in my mouth, swallowing it whole. I knew they wouldn't do too much but at least wanted to be able to stand during this fight. I was still a little shaken from my fight with Lucci and I could feel every bone in my body screaming out in pain. They were aching like mad. For a moment, I actually wonder if I'd have to take some pain killers all the time when I'm fighting these super villains. I really hope not, getting addicted to these things isn't on my to-do list. Currently, only one subject is on there. Beating Waxwork into the ground. As I move my neck, another spark of pain flares up and I groan loudly. Despite the feeling of pain being unpleasant, however, I cling to that feeling as tightly as I can. It reminds me I'm still alive.

Quickly, I take a deep breath and try and stand up properly. I grab my head, nursing it in my hands for a minute, before stopping and looking up towards where Waxwork once was. Now, however, Waxwork is walking over to me, sending busy shoppers fleeing in fear.

"That's a good right hook" I mumble, watching him carefully "you definitely went through quite an upgrade didn't you? But the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Then, without hesitation, I kick forwards with my right leg, the leg stretching out and hitting Waxwork straight in his chest. However, the kick doesn't seem to affect him and Waxwork quickly grabs hold of my leg with his giant wax hand. The grip on my leg is so tight I actually wince a little. With the hold he has on my leg, Waxwork casually throws it to one side, sending me flying to the left, landing once more on the rough tarmac.

"Quite an upgrade?" Galdino yells with a laugh, as I heave myself to my feet "Haven't you learned anything? This Wax armour is super thick it makes my attacks feel like you've just been hit by a bullet train and makes your attacks feel like nothing more than a bee sting"

"Well you're going to find out that this bee is quite tenacious" I reply bitterly, nursing my leg that is stinging from the tight clenching grip Galdino had on it. Waxwork didn't say anymore, instead he begins to charge towards me, his footsteps louder than I ever thought possible. Quickly, I stretch my arm backwards, reaching out so I could get a grip on something, letting me swing away. Luckily, my hand manages to grab hold of a street light and before Waxwork can catch me; my elastic arm pulls me out of his reach.

"YOU SEE!" Galdino yells triumphantly "EVEN THE MIGHTY SCARLET WIND FLEES FROM MY POWER! YOU'RE SCARED OF ME AREN'T YOU?" Of course I'm scared. I'm scared Galdino will do something reckless and hurt the innocent civilians around here. After all, if he can fling me through a brick wall, who knows what he could to some poor innocent soul. However, telling him that would probably only make him laugh even more.

"The only thing I'm scared of is that smell of yours. Seriously, you're sweating quite a bit in there aren't you?" I taunt with a grin.

"You're one to talk, aren't you?" Waxwork yells back with a chuckle. Automatically, I sniff underneath my armpits and instantly recoil. Note to self: never let Garp talk me out of having a shower every again.

With a sigh, I continue swinging along; turning around to look in the direction I'm travelling as I call back to Waxwork. I suddenly get a weird feeling of déjà vu from the fight with Predator and I shudder at the thought. Is it just me or do all my problems spawn from that leopard…or whoever gave him those powers in the first place. Didn't he mention something about a Vegapunk guy? Maybe he's the guy who keeps giving these super powers to all these people. Why can't his experiments turn people into innocent cute bunnies, instead of leopards and giant armoured men? Unfortunately, this wise and truthful thought is interrupted as I hear the sound of loud creaking behind me.

"HERE HERO! LET'S PLAY SOME CATCH!" Galdino yells.

"Catch?" I mutter, turning around to look at Waxwork. My eyes widen as I notice that Waxwork has grabbed a nearby parked car, holding it in his firm grip. He grunts and groans as, amazingly, he starts to lift the car from its place. After Galdino raises the car above his head, he lets out a roar and, using all his strength, he flings it over towards me, sending the car soaring into the air. My jaw drops noticing the car flying in my direction. At first, I consider dodging it but then, I realise that there are some innocent bystanders standing behind me, currently screaming loudly at the danger they're being placed in. Reluctantly, I turn around and brace myself. After I take a deep breath, I stretch out both of my arms and grab hold of a lamppost on either side. From there, I tuck my legs in and, with a loud scream of my own, I shoot them forwards. The legs strike straight at the car in the sky and the force from the double kick sends the car spinning backwards at Waxwork. Galdino lets out a panicked scream as it flies towards him and in that instant, I suddenly see fear in Galdino's face. I can't help but grin as I see it.

Once a coward, always a coward…

As the car flies at him, Galdino holds his arms up to shield himself and crouches down. However, the car doesn't stop and instead, crashes straight into him. I land on the pavement and look away as it hits him, hoping to any kind of god out there that a car to the face will be enough to take Waxwork down. For a while, there isn't any sound. A thick cloud of smoke covers the area where the car crashed and I can't see anything through it. Panting, I decide to relax on the edge of the pavement.

Please say he's stopped…

Please say he's stopped…

Please say he's stopped…

As the smoke clears, I can see the wreckage of the car. The metal is crushed and bent out of shape, almost as if it's curled around something.

Please say he's stopped…

PLEASE say he's stopped…

Suddenly and unexpectedly, the car is literally torn in half as Waxwork steps forward, throwing the two bits of car away like rubbish. The car's petrol squirts out as he steps on it, covering his torso in the liquid.

Just for once I wish a villain would stay stop when I wanted them too. Predator had done that. Did I have to constantly carry around a convenient fuse box for my enemies to punch in order to finally take then down? Angrily, I sigh and stand up once again, clenching my fists. For a second, Galdino looks shocked then, he suddenly starts smiling. He chuckles.

"Tickles…" Waxwork mutters as he looks up at me. I let out a foul curse under my breath, watching him walk forwards "Don't you get it yet Scarlet?" Galdino continued with a wide grin "I AM INVINVIBLE IN THIS SUIT OF ARMOUR! I'm really finding this tedious repeating myself…"

"Then shut up…" I reply with gritted teeth. Galdino laughs happily at my response.

"Getting a little stressed are we?" Waxwork taunts "well, it makes sense to become mad especially when you're outclassed"

"You're seeming confident for someone who was wetting his pants a few seconds ago" I shout, motioning towards the car with my left hand. Waxwork growls angrily at this challenge to his courage and then, without warning, he begins to charge forwards. Luckily, the onlookers who almost got hit by the car have scattered, so this time, I can easily leap out of the way of the raging super villain without worrying about them.

"Nice aim there Galdino" I joke landing on the ground once more "I mean you only missed me by one mile this time!" Waxwork growls very loudly at my insult and then, quickly charges over towards me. He slams his left fist onto the ground where I was standing. I quickly sidestep the strike and, in a burst of sudden inspiration, I jump up onto Waxwork's bulking arm and start to run up it quickly. Dodging the spikes on the armour around Galdino's shoulders, I manage to swing around Waxwork's back and grab hold of the bump at the top of the armour where Galdino's head is. Immediately, Waxwork starts freaking out, straining with his reach to try and grab me off his back.

"Get off of there!" he yells angrily.

"I didn't hear a please young man" I respond with a grin. Waxwork once more lets out a loud yell at my stubborn nature and starts to swing his body around recklessly in an attempt to get me off of my perch on his head. His arms are too bulky so their reach doesn't get to where I'm holding onto. I laugh a little at the large man's predicament. At least I've managed to find a little chink in Waxwork's armour…now all I need is an actual weak point in Waxwork's armour and then I can finally defeat this giant. Suddenly, Waxwork starts to laugh and then, he falls backwards, off of his feet and onto his back in an attempt to crush me. Luckily, I drop onto the floor and roll backwards out of the way of Waxwork's fall before he hits the ground. At first, I start smiling happily as I realise that if Waxwork is lying on his back then maybe he can't get back up. Unfortunately, my hopes are quickly dashed as Waxwork hauls himself up off the ground.

"Shit" I curse under my breath as I stand up as well. Waxwork turns around, spotting me out of the corner of his eye. Slowly, he begins to smile. Instantly, I decided I need to continue my search for somewhere abandoned to fight Waxwork. Already, the guy had created a huge crater in the ground just by falling onto his back. I don't want to see what he can do to a group of unarmed and unaware civilians.

"Come on Galdino, we're playing a new game now! Ever heard of 'follow the leader'?" I call over to the bulking giant. Quickly, I stretch my arm backwards and start swinging away from Waxwork, hoping he takes the bait and follows me to somewhere deserted. Waxwork laughs loudly and then, he begins to charge after me, actually moving a lot faster than I thought he would be able to with that large heavy armour on.

"Follow the leader?" he shouts after me "Please! This is more like a game of cat and mouse!" I ignore Waxwork's cry and keep swinging away. I need somewhere abandoned where I can take this guy down, somewhere out of sight…

Right, somewhere abandoned in a city with a population of around three million people…

Since when did being optimistic turn into me being as mad as a hatter?

Sighing, I focused on the situation at hand. Waxwork is a danger to everyone around him and right now, I need to find a way to take him down...

Unfortunately, I got so lost in my thought that I didn't see where I was going and as I turned the corner to get further away from Waxwork, I'm instantly met with a sight I really don't want to see. I had entered the plaza where the charity circus was set up and everywhere I looked there were game stalls, attractions and, much to my irritation, people. Swiftly, I try and turn around to get out of the populated area but by the time, I've adjusted myself so I can swing back out of the plaza, Waxwork has already ran around the corner and his face lights up at the mere sight of the funfair. Moving as fast as his wax armour can let him, he sprints forward, charging straight through a nearby hot-dog stand and, ignoring the frightened vendor, as well as the screaming mother and her child next to the stand, roughly pushes it aside as he sprints in my direction. Just as I suspected, he doesn't care about any of the onlookers. All he cares about is catching and beating me. He's definitely solely focused on me, meaning he doesn't mind if anyone else gets hurt. Luckily, the hot-dog stand doesn't hit anybody and, even better, at the first sight of Waxwork, everyone starts running away from the armoured beast. I wanted an abandoned area to fight in…I guess that I've got one now, all I need to do is think of a way in which I can take Waxwork down…

I drop down out of the sky and land right next to a test your strength game, the one where you have to hit the ground with the hammer and you have to try and ring the bell at the top of the large neon spire… Test your strength eh? With a smirk on my face, I grab hold of the large hammer and grip it firmly in both hands.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a hammer to the face" I mutter to myself, as I look up to see Waxwork coming closer. Galdino now resembles a charging rhino and as he approaches, I quickly spring up over him; escaping Waxwork's grasping hands as I did so. With a load cry of pure adrenaline, I roll forward in midair, sending the hammer crashing down against Waxwork's back with as much strength as I could muster. For a moment, Galdino let out a small wince of pain from behind his thick purple wax coating. Then, almost too suddenly, Waxwork turned on his heel, bringing his right fist around and smashing it straight into my upside down stomach. This shattered the hammer into pieces and sent me to the ground a few metres away. Galdino laughs loudly as I push against the ground, trying to stand up once again.

"What was that thing supposed to be?" he asks in a mocking tone.

"A hammer" I pant in reply "don't tell me you're so stupid you don't even know what one of those is" Oddly enough, Waxwork laughs louder at my reply.

"You call that a hammer? No, no, no…" he mumbles to himself. As he lifts up his hands, I can see the wax on his fist's start to stretch, changing shape, until finally, they have fully transformed into two large wax hammers "NOW THESE ARE PROPER HAMMERS!" Galdino shouts, before slamming both of them into the ground. As he does so, I take a speedy step backwards. Waxwork doesn't stop his attacks and starts to dash forward towards me, swinging his hammers almost madly to try and clobber me one. Luckily, I keep stepping backwards, dodging the mighty blows from the large juggernaut. Whenever a large hammer would strike from the left, I'd shift to the right.

"You getting tired Waxwork?" I ask with a taunting smile. By now, the man in the large bulky armour looks like he's sweating quite a lot, but he still has that large grin on his face as he laughs at me.

"Are you kidding? I'm just getting started!" Galdino yells defiantly. Never the less, however, his speed slows and his strikes become less and less frequent. As soon as Galdino's exhaustion becomes overwhelming to him, I unleash a strong uppercut to Galdino's exposed chin…and in the process of the strong punch; I think I break my rubber knuckle. I let out a loud scream before stepping back and shaking my hand, blowing on it occasionally to soothe the burn of the pain. My right fist hurts so bloody much that when I swing away from the fight, I use my left hand to grab hold of a nearby flagpole. Luckily, Waxwork is also quite dizzy from the hit and now, he's staggering around like some mad man. For a moment, I rest on top of the flagpole, wincing at the pain in my knuckle but, after a small seconds rest, I feel I'm ready to get fighting again. Waxwork is still stumbling about and he's completely off balance. Now is my time to take him down!

"Round 2" I mumble "WATCH OUT WAXWORK! HERE I…"

A fist hits me straight in the face like a bullet. My head goes dizzy and my vision becomes blurry. Colours whiz by me until a sharp smash of glass cries out into the sapphire sky. The glass doesn't rip the costume but it does sure as hell hurts hitting the floor. I still can't see anything. Just black blobs covering the outline of the window I just crashed through. I must be in a building along the side of the plaza. That punch must have made me travel really far. I let out a loud groan and shake my head on the floor as I try to get up off the floor. My head is ringing. It hurts…

It hurts…more than anything Waxwork and Predator had ever done…

There's only one person who can hurt me like this!

"Gramps…" I whisper, but my inquiry is interrupted as a heavy weight slams down on the ground in front of me, pinning me to the ground with two strong arms. Slowly, my vision recovers and I can make out Gramps' small grey beard. He's glaring down at me, the scar on the left hand side of his face making him look almost demonic to me.

"Scarlet Wind, you are under arrest" he announces, withdrawing a pair of handcuffs from his pants "You have the right to remain silent! Anything you do say can be held against you in a court of law"

IS HE READING ME MY RIGHTS? HE'S NOT BEING SERIOUS IS HE?

"You have the right to speak to an attorney and if you can't afford a lawyer, one will be provided in court…"

Oh…shit…

I'm getting arrested by my Grandpa in a flowery shirt…

Things aren't going well at all…

* * *

_**Garp P.O.V**_

Finally, I've caught him. This troublemaker has been around for over three months now. In that time, he's made himself public enemy number one on my list. I had just finished singing with Ace when I heard screaming and panicking from outside. Apparently, there was some sort of fight going on. I told Ace to stay where it was safe and, despite protesting for a while, he did. When I got outside, I couldn't believe my luck. The Scarlet Wind, that vigilante menace was standing right outside on top of a flagpole. Of course, seeing him there I decide to take a chance and, using my super-human agility, I leap up to where Scarlet is and pound him in the face. I'm glad Ace and Luffy aren't aware about these special abilities of mine. It might scare them if they learned that their grandfather was some kind of mutant freak. Speaking of mutant freaks, Scarlet's currently lying on the floor, moaning with pain, rolling around in an attempt to get up. What really surprises me about this brat is that everyone sees him as some sort of superhero. Are they all forgetting what he did when he first appeared? He was a true vigilante, taking the law into his own hands, pursuing criminals like a madman with no regard to the safety of others. He even put five of my men in hospital! But now everyone's treating him like a champion of good, saying he's turned over a new leaf. Even Luffy and Ace like the guy. They all forget that he needs to be punished for his past crimes. He's a man in a mask, taking the law into his hands. He's no different than any of the other common criminals and, like a common criminal, I plan to lock him up and throw away the key. Watching him lying on the floor in front of me, I can't hide the scowl from my face. Everything this man stands for is wrong and he's breaking the law and it's my job to bring him to justice…

"Gra-Garp!" Scarlet shouts, struggling in my grip "Let go of me! I don't have time for this!"

"You're going to have a lot of time on your hands when I get you in a nice cell" I told him, reaching down towards Scarlet's left arm with the handcuffs in my grasp. As I move down, however, Scarlet's left leg comes up and hits me square in the chin. I let out a loud cry of pain and reel backwards from the blow, giving Scarlet enough time to jump away from my grip. He's now clinging to the wall opposite me, scowling at me from across the room.

"Look, I need to get out of here and back to my fight" he argues angrily "Can we do this later? I can schedule you in sometime next Tuesday"

"Stop with the jokes!" I bark at him "I'm bringing you to justice!"

"Not if you can't catch me!" Scarlet shouts, before he springs off the wall at a high speed, aiming for the hole in the window behind me. A sly grin comes to my face as he approaches. It's been a while since I've been able to cut loose like this…

Scarlet's eyes widen as I miraculously leap off the floor like a rocket, soaring high into the air and blocking his path towards the window. I swing my fist forward at him, striking the raven haired vigilante in his stomach. Scarlet shoots backwards onto the floor and once more, I land right next to him. This time, I grab a hold of his neck and his right arm, throwing Scarlet at the wall and pinning him there to secure him.

"Scarlet Wind, as I said before, you are under arrest…" I repeat confidently. Scarlet continues to struggle against my grip, banging his left arm against the side of my head and lashing out with his legs. A quick knee to the groin soon stops him and Scarlet starts panting.

"You…you have to let me go…" he groans through clenched teeth "I have to stop him…" I look at Scarlet confused for a moment.

"Who? Who do you have to stop?" I ask.

"Waxwork" he chokes out in reply "He was….Galdino Goldenweek…nothing I do can hurt him…"

"WHAT?" I thunder, turning to face the broken window. As I look out of the window, I can just about hear the sound of splintering wood. Whoever this Waxwork guy is he's definitely a problem.

"Then I'll stop him…" I shout at Scarlet, who persistently struggles against me "as soon as I've got you out of the way…"

"How?" Scarlet asks. I can't answer but Scarlet is persistent "listen to me Garp, you can't beat him alone. You need my help…"

"I need it like a bullet in the head!" I respond bitterly, once more slamming the young criminal into the wall.

"You can't beat him on your own. Trust me, I've tried!" Scarlet continues in no more than a whisper.

"I'll take him down once you're in chains" I say calmly.

Scarlet shakes his head in disbelief.  
"Are you sure about this?" he asks hesitantly. Of course, I laugh loudly at the absurdity of the question.  
"Of course you brat! I heard you were a little dumb but I didn't know you were this bad at using your head"  
"Then I have no choice then" Scarlet mutters to himself, before he swings his head back violently. Despite the hold I have on his neck, it still manages to extend just enough to create a large ricochet as it shoots back down, straight against my forehead. Not expecting the attack, I let out a growl of pain and sink backwards, dizzy and confused.  
"What was that?"  
"It's called using my head" Scarlet's voice calls with a smile "...that or fighting dirty. We should really do this little dance of ours again G-man" As he shouts this, I notice a blur race past me to the left. I move to stop him, but Scarlet vaults over my arm and keeps on going, leaping out of the smashed window.  
Shit, I'm not sure what Sengoku will be more pissed about. Losing Scarlet or the fact I've broken ANOTHER window...  
Then again, I suppose this time it was only the one...

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

As soon as I leap out of the building, I stretch my hand forward so I can swing away back over towards where Waxwork was. I still need to take him down. I'm not sure whether Garp could actually defeat Waxwork by himself or not, but I did know something though. Galdino was after me, not Garp. It was obvious from the way he acted that he wasn't after some big score or some prize. All Waxwork wanted was payback. He wanted revenge for all those times I'd beaten him because now, he was strong enough to fight on and even above my level. It didn't matter whether Garp knew he could beat Waxwork or not because he wasn't Galdino's target, I was and Garp couldn't always be around to save (arrest) me. I needed to know that I could actually defeat Waxwork myself, because then I'd have one less problem to deal with…at least in theory anyway… As I glanced around, searching for Waxwork, I suddenly let out a gasp and grab my neck. It stings so much right now. I'll say this about Garp, he is amazingly strong. Hopefully it runs in the family…

Now that I think about it, maybe Garp's a mutant like me. It does explain how he always punches so hard and how he was able to leap all the way up to me on top of that flagpole.

"THERE YOU ARE!" I turn around at the shout and notice Waxwork stamping towards me, a sly grin on Galdino's face "RUNNING SCARED ARE WE?"

"You wish" I reply simply, dropping onto the cobbled street below. Looking around, I notice that most of the circus stands are still standing. Unfortunately, I really can't see anyway how I can take Waxwork down. That hammer to the back didn't even make a dent in his armour. Even when I threw a car at him, it still didn't work. Already this seems really problematic. How am I going to beat this guy? Unfortunately, Waxwork isn't giving me much time to think and is in front of my face in a matter of seconds. Swinging his fist forwards, Waxwork charges straight into me and I'm sent flying backwards. I let out a cry of agony as Waxwork then grabs my leg tightly and slams my body hard against the floor.

"Not so tough now are you Scarlet?" Galdino mocks, tightening the grip he has on my leg. I wince but never the less, keep a sly grin on my face.

"Nah, this is nothing. I've had worse…" I start to taunt, unfortunately, Waxwork isn't amused by me and instead, he drops me straight to the floor. I hit the ground and groan. At first, I try and stand up but before I can, Waxwork lifts me up off the ground and, surprisingly, pulls me into a mighty bear hug.

"Showing your favourite Scarlet a bit of love?" I ask with a chuckle "hate to tell you man, but I don't swing that…AHHH!" Waxwork interrupts me by tightening his grip, crushing my body in-between his wax chest plate and his bulking gauntlets.

"You know what?" Waxwork questions as he continues to tighten his grip "you've been acting more like a spineless wimp than a superhero today…so I'm going make sure that that spine of yours won't trouble you any longer…BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BREAK YOU IN TWO!" At these words, Galdino continues to crush me. I let another loud wail as the pressure continues. He's…strong…too strong…he's literally crushing the life out of me…my vision…it's blurring…I'm…passing out…I feel so dizzy, so…so…

Without warning, Waxwork's strong grip suddenly loosened. I couldn't see what was happening but I felt my body crashing onto the hard ground. Quickly, I shook my head, hoping to return the flow of blood around my body and regain some sense of sight. Thankfully, it wasn't long before I could see again…though the sight was so surreal I almost thought I was dreaming. Gramps had just swooped down out of nowhere and had charged into Waxwork. The two were now engaged in a full on conflict, with Gramps landing a mighty combination of blows right onto Waxwork's chest. Surprisingly, Gramps' strong attacks barely seem to damage the powerful armour that is protecting Waxwork. Waxwork lets out a loud howl as he strikes forward with his left fist, hitting Gramps and sending him to the ground.

"Get out of my way old man!" Galdino shouts angrily, looming over Garp's prone body "I'm not interested in you. I'm only after…" Galdino found himself interrupted in mid-speech as I kicked forward with my right leg, stretching my elastic foot that hit Galdino's exposed face. As my foot kicked him, Galdino gasped in surprise and began to stagger backwards, clawing at his face with his large wax hands.

"MY NOSE! YOU BROKE MY FREAKING NOSE!" he complains angrily, gesturing uselessly with his hands in an attempt to nurse his throbbing red nose.

"Oh cry me a river…" I groan angrily, walking over to Gramps and extending my hand towards him "you okay old man?" Gramps gives me a glare and stands up on his own, ignoring my outstretched palm.

"I've taken some hits in my time brat. I'll be alright. Some overgrown candle isn't going to take me out" I nod with a laugh.

"Yeah I see what you…" I stop speaking and snap around to look at Garp with wide eyes "what did you say?" Gramps shrugged his shoulders.

"I said I'm okay…"

"No, not that. You said he was like a giant candle, right?" I ask, the smile on my face slowly widening as an idea began to grow in my head.

"Well, you said his name was Waxwork, so I presumed that the armour of his was made of wax…or at least some sort of strong alloy combined with the wax. Why is that so important?" Despite everything Gramps is saying, I still have that wide smile on my face.  
"Garp…I think I know how we can beat him…"  
"I've already told you to give it a rest!" Gramps snaps at me "I'll beat this Waxwork guy on my own and then, I'm taking you in!"

"No look, I definitely know how to beat him" I argue angrily "All I need is…"  
"Aren't you listening to me?" Gramps asks louder "YOU'RE A CRIMINAL AND I'M NOT GOING TO ASSOCIATE MYSELF WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU!"

"I'm a vigilante!" I correct with a smile "think of it that I'm just doing some community service"

"I'm not…" Gramps begins but I interrupt him before he can continue.

"Look, there are times in life where we have to do things we don't want to do. If we're going to beat this guy, then you have to distract him for me. I'm the lesser of two evils here and you have to trust me…just this once…"

* * *

_**Garp P.O.V**_

I don't know why, but I find that I can't reply to Scarlet now. I want to bring him to justice…but now, I'm having second thoughts. Scarlet's actually right in a way. I will admit that Waxwork is a greater threat to everyone else right now but he's wrong if he thinks that that simple fact excuses him for all he's done.

"Listen here you little brat…" I yell angrily, turning to face Scarlet with a glare.

"You're going to play decoy for me? Of course, thanks a lot there old man!" Scarlet says happily before he leaps high into the air, vaulting over a nearby game stall and disappearing from sight. I let out a loud sigh of irritation as he leaves and immediately, I prepare to follow him. However, I'm suddenly stopped by the large purple statues recovery. Before I can properly react, Waxwork charges over towards where I am and punches me hard with his right fist. I take the full force of the attack and I'm literally thrown off my feet, soaring backwards. Luckily, as I land, I'm able to steady myself and recover quite quickly.

"If it's a fight you want, then you've got one!" I shout loudly, before charging straight towards the large purple statue. Clenching my right fist, I dodge Waxwork's left fist as it crashes down on where I was once standing and strike a powerful uppercut against Galdino's exposed chin. Once more, the armoured man stumbles backwards though this time; he recovers much more quickly than before. With a loud incomprehensible shout of rage, Waxwork launches an incredibly strong attack straight at me. Quickly, I step to the left, however, the attack still hits me right in the shoulder and I wince at the pain of the punch. I hope that brat actually has a plan to take this guy down because now I look at things; I don't think I can last much longer against this guy if he throws more punches at me like that…

And if Scarlet's lying to me and he's just left me here to die, I am so haunting his ass…

* * *

_**Galdino P.O.V**_

I can't believe how brilliant this is. It's an almost addicting feeling being in this armour. I'm invincible and unbeatable. What was I so scared about? Spandam's deal has allowed me to become stronger than I've ever felt in my entire life. Was this how that leopard man felt after Vegapunk gave him his abilities? Probably. After all, there's no way anyone in their right mind would condemn such power when that would turn them into this kind of unstoppable fighter. Finally, I feel happy again. I'd even call myself ecstatic. I've not felt this good in so long. Now, I'm in the position of power! NO-ONE ELSE! I've had to put up with being a little meek weakling my whole life and I've hated every second of it. At school, I was always the one getting picked on and bullied because I wasn't tough enough to take it. Even after I graduated, I was still the underdog. Despite everything I did, I couldn't get anywhere in life. I got a job which didn't pay as much as I would have liked and I hated it. Times got tough pretty quickly. I worked out the only way to get enough money to survive was to steal. So…I did. One day, I stole some money from the cash register and tried to sneak out of the store with it…but I got caught on the way out. I fought back and in the process, injuring my boss. I was arrested by the police and charged with theft and assault. It was ridiculous. I've had things stolen from me all my life and the moment I start to fight back for my rights, I get branded a criminal. From there, my life fell apart. I lost my job obviously and I was locked up in a jail for over three months. In that time my girlfriend left me and took my six year old daughter with her. They couldn't believe I would steal something and stoop to that level. They said I wasn't the person they knew anymore and that I had changed. Shame filled their eyes as they looked at me one last time. That was over nine months ago and I still haven't heard a word from them. They acted like I was the one with the problem. I'M NOT IN THE WRONG HERE! I was deprived of everything I wanted and everyone I loved because people who were stronger and more powerful than me used that power to keep me miserable. Now, I'm strong enough to do what I wanted and to get what I wanted, to finally live the life I want to live.

Still people are trying to bring me down though. This old man standing before me is one of those people. He's been fighting me for around four minutes now. It's almost like he can't accept that I'm better than him. Well, I'm going to teach him that he's wrong. Once again, I launch my right wax fist into an uppercut straight at the old man's jaw. Somehow, he manages to get enough strength to sidestep the blow but he doesn't dodge the second blow as I place both of my fists together and then bring it down on his skull, sending him straight to the floor. The old man lets out a loud cry as he hits the ground face first. I laugh as I watch him trying to get up, only for him to stumble and fall back down. People like this guy have always been pushing me down…AND NOW I'M BETTER THAN THEM! Now, it's me making the rules and me kicking ass. Without a second thought, I lift up my right leg and gently place the bottom of my large wax foot onto the old man's head. Steadily, I lift my leg upwards and prepare myself to make the killing blow…

"Hey Waxwork!" At the voice's shout, I turn around only to see a long elastic arm reach down, grab the old man and then pull him off the ground. Perching on top of a nearby carnival stand was none other than the Scarlet Wind. Gently, Scarlet lifted the old man onto his left shoulder and smiled down at me.

"Didn't you ever hear that you should respect your elders?" he asks in a mocking tone "or is it that you knew you couldn't beat me, so you started picking on an old age pensioner?"  
"Hey…" the barely conscious old man grunted angrily but both Scarlet and I paid no attention to him.

"Of course not, you're a little runt! I could crush you whenever I wanted" I yell up to the red clad superhero. Scarlet only laughs at my threat though.

"Prove it then!" he shouts, before he starts running along the stands. With a loud and angry cry of rage, I start to follow him, sprinting after him as fast as I can. The wax armour really hasn't slowed me down as much as I thought it would…maybe that's because of that thing Vegapunk injected into me before he put me in this suit but, to be honest, I don't care. I'm now strong enough and fast enough to take down all the people who brought me down, starting with that stupid spandex wearing freak! I manage to stay with Scarlet as he runs until, eventually, I enter a large courtyard. There, Scarlet stops, dropping the old man off onto the floor on the other side of the courtyard.

"Have you finally stopped running now?" I inquire with a content smile. Scarlet doesn't reply and instead, reaches into his pocket with a grin.

"You know what? That wax armour must be cutting off a lot of the blood to your brain" he comments. My good mood vanishes almost instantly.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" I bark at him. Scarlet doesn't bother to answer and instead, pulls the hand out of his pocket, revealing a small pack of matches. Without hesitating, Scarlet removes a match and scrapes it along the cobble stone floor, igniting it. I watch the small flame with interest, yet I still laugh.

"What's that? A match? What are you going to do with that?"

"Beat you" was Scarlet's simple reply before he immediately starts sprinting towards me. He doesn't get far though as I simply grab hold of his throat with my large wax hand before he can get too close.

"You stupid ignorant brat!" I mock him with a smile "did you really think you can beat me that easily?" Despite the pain I'm giving Scarlet through tightening my grip on his body, the smile on his face doesn't fade.

"Galdino, you stink…" he simply replies. I laugh loudly and tighten my grip, crushing the wind out of the boy once more.

"Is that your best insult? Are they your famous last words?"

"No Galdino" Scarlet interrupts me with a wide grin "I mean you literally smell! You stink of gasoline…" My eyes widen as Scarlet casually reaches forwards with his right hand, which I have failed to restrain and drops the match forwards.

Then, bright and blinding light burst forth from my chest and I let out a scream of terror…

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

Every time Bon makes me a new outfit, he always makes it flame resistant. It's become so common with all of my costumes that he doesn't even need to mention it anymore. I just know he's done it because that's the kind of guy he is. He can talk forever about all the polymer fibres he's put into the fabric but he doesn't even need to mention anything to do with it being flame resistant or not because he knows that I want that. When Waxwork charged through that car, breaking it in two and getting all that gasoline on his chest, it was a huge mistake. Luckily, wax doesn't melt quickly so I know that Galdino won't be harmed by the flames…but they will cause him a huge problem. His cowardly screams cry out as he instantly lets me go and starts running around like a madman with the flames glowing off his chest. Without a moment to lose, I quickly sprint over towards the other side of the courtyard. Hiding under one of the stands is a large black hammer, like the one I had used before on Galdino's back. I noticed that the last time I did it created a small dent in the armour. Not enough to hurt Waxwork, but definitely enough to damage the armour, if only slightly. So, with the hammer in hand, I once again run up towards Waxwork and then, with all my strength, strike the back of his armour hard with the hammer. Galdino lets out a terrified cry from inside the suit, followed by a quick whimper of pain. I've made a larger crack but not big enough to do what I want. Once again, I smash down on the back of his suit again with a hammer, and then again and again and again, until, finally, after the sixth time of trying, the crack in his back has widened up enough for me to reach my hands inside the gap. Carefully, I drop the hammer and leap up onto Waxwork's back. I can feel the heat emanating from the front of his armour and Galdino's coughing through the smoke but I had to ignore it if I was going to beat him and bring him in alive. I reach both of his hands inside the crack and then, after I took a deep breath, I began to strain my muscles as I started to tear the armour apart. I knew I wasn't super strong…BUT Garp was and if I was his grandson, then I couldn't disappoint him now. I strain for what feels like forever until finally, I feel a satisfying snap as the hole in Waxwork's back opens up wide enough for me to pull Galdino out. Carefully, I do just that, wrapping my arms underneath Galdino's and then, I gently heave him out of his large wax armour. Galdino's eyes are fully closed as I pull him out but I can hear him breathing. Gently, I pull Galdino as far away from the empty burning suit of armour. With Galdino beaten, I finally let out a loud content sigh before I collapse onto the floor on my back and close my eyes for a moment.

I've won…

Feeling quite joyful at that thought, I sat up…only to sit up too quickly and hurt my arm. I let out a loud groan and nursed it with a sigh.

Winning hurts…

Suddenly, I realise that Gramps is still hurt over the other side of the courtyard and so, I spring up from where I'm lying down and quickly head over to him. To my surprise, Gramps is actually pretty relaxed. He's nursing a black eye and a cut lip but apart from that, he seems to be okay.

"You are one lucky old man Garp" I told him with a grin. Gramp's response was to glare up at me angrily.

"Shut up…" he growls "you've got more of a mouth on you than my grandson…" I decide not to comment on that statement and, instead, I crouch down next to him to check on his injuries.

"Do you need me to take you to the hospital?" I ask but Gramps laughs at the question.

"I'll live…besides, the day I accept help from you is the day hell freezes over"  
"Well then, it's defiantly a little chilly in hell seeing as how I saved your ass today" I reply with a grin. Of course, Gramps brushes it off.

"I wouldn't have needed your help if you hadn't abandoned me…but thanks…"  
"No problem" I say with a happy smirk. Gramps, however, quickly snaps angrily at me, seeing my cocky smile.

"DON'T THINK THIS CHANGES ANYTHING BETWEEN US! You're still a criminal and I'm still going to bring you down…just…not today…" My eyes widen a little at Garp's words and I lean forwards towards him, pretending to clean out my ear.

"I'm sorry? I must have misheard. For a minute there, it sounded like you were going to turn a blind eye to me because I saved your life back there" I mutter with a grin.  
"I'm giving you a head start" Garp clarifies "Ten minutes and then I'm coming after you…"

"Whatever you say old man" I reply gleefully. I turn around; ready to leave Garp, when suddenly Gramps speaks up.

"I should thank you in a way…" I look back at him with a confused glance, stopping in my tracks.

"How so?" I ask. Gramps chuckles to himself and then, looks up at the clear blue sky above.

"You've taught me a little humility today…and I think I've learned that sometimes, you can't do things the way you want to, can you?"

"What do you mean?" I continue to ask, now enthralled in whatever nonsense Gramps is prattling on about.

"Well" Gramps starts, a hand stroking his short white beard in thought "I suppose that in the end, you can't always have things your own way and you can't always get what you want…so, in those situations, you need to compromise with people. You know, meet them half way..." He then turns to me and I feel that his eyes are looking straight into mine through my mask "you know what I mean?" For a second, I didn't say anything then, I nodded.

"Yeah…I guess so…" I reply quietly.

"Eight minutes and fourteen seconds…" Garp mutters under his breath and I laugh a little.

"Whatever…" I reply louder this time and smile a little.

"SAMI, LOOK! THERE HE IS! THE SCARLET WIND!"

"IT'S NAMI YOU IDIOT! AND QUIET DOWN, BEFORE HE NOTICES US!" The pair of echoing voices attracts my attention and I look past Garp and sure enough, running towards us down the empty cobbled street, in between the broken and damaged stands, is an orange haired girl and…some sort of mime? I shrug my shoulders at Garp, who is also staring at Nami and her friend as they approach.

"Ah well!" I say happily "here comes the paparazzi! I'll be off then I guess. See ya around Geezer!" and with that, I stretch out my hand, grab hold of a nearby building and swing away, soaring upwards high above the battlefield. I smile a little as I hear Nami shouting up after me, saying something that sounds like the word 'Interview'.

She's settling in with that newspaper company quicker than I imagined…

Then again, she is Nami…

Getting changed back from my Scarlet costume back into my normal clothes was actually a lot more difficult than I first thought. For one, I had actually got changed further away from the fight with Waxwork and, to add to that confusion, I actually forgot where I had left my bag. Luckily, I found it after a bit of searching, quickly got changed and then, slipped the bag with Scarlet's costume in once more hidden in Garp's car, before I ran back over to where I had left Gramps. The sight when I arrived was a little hectic to say the least. Civilians everywhere were trying to get past a police barricade that had been set up by a division that had arrived shortly after the fight. For a moment, I groaned angrily at the thought that the police were so late to the battle, but, then again, the police station was on the other side of town, which explained why they had gotten here so late.

"Hey Brand-new!" I called over towards a nearby police captain. The green haired man with the sideburns turns to me and sighs as I approach. I notice one of the men try and stop me from coming nearer but he holds up a hand.

"Let him through Shu! It's Garp's Grandson" Brand-new announces. Shu immediately backs off and then leaves to try and help the other officers keep control of the public's prying eyes. Brand-New scratches the back of his head nervously as I approach.

"Luffy, how are you?" Brand-New asks, saluting me. I wave at him, signalling him to drop the salute and chuckle a little.

"Brand-New, relax buddy. There's no need to be so serious I'm just here to see gramps. I heard he was caught up here in a fight between some super powered criminals..." Brand-New bought the excuse easily and nodded, yet he still retained the focused look on his face from behind his pair of sunglasses.

"Affirmative. Commander Garp is over there resting. I think Captain Hina's tending to him"  
"Thanks Brand-New" I say before running around him "and lighten up would you!" Brand-New doesn't reply and so, instead, I decide to keep on going until I spot Garp. Hina and the medics had managed to patch him up pretty well and luckily, Garp isn't that hurt anyway. Despite this, however, Hina is still trying to keep him down.

"You need time to rest Garp. You're not fully healed"  
"Fully healed? I'm as fit as a fiddle Hina, now let me go! I've got two angst ridden teenagers to look after who are probably wondering where I am right now" Gramps complains, struggling against her grip.

"Angst ridden teenagers?" I yell as I approach, attracting the two's attention "clearly you don't know me well Gramps!"  
"Luffy my boy!" Gramps shouts happily, standing up and walking over to me with a grin on his face, pushing anyone out of his way before looping his arm over my shoulder into a one armed embrace "where've you been?"

"I phoned Makino but then I got hungry so I went to buy some food" I lie with a reassuring smile "I didn't want to ruin your fun and Ace seemed to be enjoying himself too"

"Ace!" Gramps shouts suddenly "Of course! He's still at the Karaoke bar! We'll have to go get him won't we?" Without any delay, Gramps then starts to walk through the crowd, dragging me with him under his arm.

"GARP WAIT!" Hina cries after us, but it falls on deaf ears "HINA IS FURIOUS!"

"So, have you enjoyed today then?" Gramps asks me as we start to leave the town square, heading for the karaoke bar on the other side of the street. I can hear Ace's singing drifting outside, doing a surprisingly good cover of 'It's My Life' by Bon Jovi.

"Enjoyed?" I question with a laugh "what's with the past tense Gramps? The day is still young right?" I had never seen a single inquiry put such a smile on Gramp's face and I found myself smiling back at him as he laughed.

"Right Luffy! The day's not over yet! We've got much more to do yet!"

"Aren't you hurt at all?" I ask him with a grin. Gramps shakes his head and pulls me into a headlock, rubbing his knuckle along my head as quickly as he can.

"Of course not you idiot!" he jokes "I've had worse hits in my day and besides, today is just about you, me and Ace having some family fun!" I smile a little as Garp continues to scrub my hair and for once, I actually feel kinda happy with the old man.

_Meet them half way…_

The words echoed inside my head and I couldn't help but smile a little. Gramps is trying to get closer to me and Ace. The least I could do is meet him half way for his trouble…

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

I'm tired. So tired that I feel like I'm going to just drop at any moment. However, I find the willpower to perceive against the creeping feeling of sleep. It's Midnight and even Bellemere's asleep now but I'm still finding the energy to type on my keyboard. After the picture I managed to get of Scarlet today (thanks to Luffy's Grandpa, who said that seeing as I was a friend, he'd turn a blind eye to my photographing and even give me a bit of an interview) Mr. Shiki was amazed. At first, he was going to have Indigo write an article about the fight…but then, seeing as though the story wasn't going to appear on the first page (it was beaten by a story about the revelation of a theft from Donflamingo's estate the same night that Predator and Scarlet had their little fight there) Shiki's given me the chance to write an article about it for the Monday newspaper. I'd already been writing for over two and a half hours and now, I was just trying to refine everything and make it perfect for Shiki. After all, if people liked the article, it could be a good way for me to advance in the paper. So I surrender myself to the rhythmic pattern as my fingers gently tap away on my keyboard.

'_And so once again, The Scarlet Wind has defeated yet another one of these super powered foes and Galdino Goldenweek is now in police custody. However, the question of how these mysterious assailants are getting these abilities has yet to be answered. However, what remains constantly clear is that our answer to these super powered threats is Dawn city's own heroic vigilante. Let us hope that…"_

My typing is interrupted by a beeping sound coming from the open Facebook page I have. I groan a little but I still click onto my profile to see what I have been alerted of. It's a notification to something Ace posted on his profile. I and over hundred other people were all tagged on it. That had to be almost everyone on Ace's friend list. Intrigued by this discovery, I investigate further only to find it's a video. Ace's only updated his profile a few seconds ago meaning that he and Luffy have probably just got home within the hour. I knew he'd enjoy himself. There's no way he'd stay out for so long with his grandpa and not enjoy himself. Curiosity quickly takes over and so I gently click for the video to start playing. When the video starts, the lighting is really low and I can't see anything. There are a few lights on a stage of some kind but it's barely enough to see

"…_And that red light means its recording" Ace's voice calls in the almost pitch black room "are you okay with doing this?" There was a giggle on the other side of the camera._

_Well, Nojiko was definitely going to be happy about that…_

"_Don't worry" the girl wielding the camera says "I think I can do it now, just get up there" A blurry shape nods in the darkness and then disappears. The camera quickly turns so that it's solely focused on the stage. Then, a man steps into centre stage and smiles happily._

"_Good evening ladies and gentlemen" he shouts into what I presume is a crowd of people "how are you all doing tonight?" Cheers greet the question and the man on stage chuckles as if he's not surprised in the least "now then, as you all know, this is a karaoke bar and, if you're here, then you most likely want to get up and do a little bit of singing and have a little fun. Am I right?" The reply, yet again, is cheering. The man laughs but holds out a hand._

"_Well, you're all going to have a chance to get up on stage and do a little bit of karaoke…but, the first karaoke session of the night has actually already been booked before any of you arrived. So, without further ado, let's give a big round of applause to the D family, who will be singing a song by Santana and Chad Kroger called 'Why don't you and I'. I hope you all enjoy" More applause is heard in the audience and then the music starts to set in. It's a slow kind of melody played on what I can guess is an acoustic guitar. At first, the stage is empty, but the moment the speed of the music starts to speed up, Garp steps through the curtains onto the stage with a microphone to another round of applause. Garp laughs happily and waves out to the crowd before he walks over to the left side of the stage and starts to sing._

"_~Since the moment I spotted you~  
~Like walking 'round with little wings on my shoes~  
~My stomach's filled with the butterflies~" Garp takes in a deep breath and grins into the audience, who seem satisfied by his performance.  
"~And it's alright~" Garp adds in song, winking directly at the camera, which has now been carried closer to the stage, so now it can get a proper view of the stage and its singers. To add to the surprises, Ace pushes open the curtains at the back of the stage and walks in, singing the next part of the song as he walks to the right hand side of the stage._

"_~Bouncing round from cloud to cloud~  
~I got the feelin' like I'm never gonna come down~  
~If I said I didn't like it then you know I'd lied~" Ace sings, winking into the crowd with a large smirk on his face. A few of the girls in the audience behind the camera cheer at Ace's, dare I say, brilliant performance._

Like I said before, Nojiko is definitely going to be pleased about that.

_Suddenly, however, the lights go dim and a new voice enters my ears._

"_Every time I try to talk to you  
I get tongue-tied"_

Instantly, the new voice captivates my attention. Who is it singing? I'll admit, whoever it is doesn't sound like he's the best singer, definitely no where near as good as Ace's voice but…it seems to have its own little amiable tone. Who's singing this song now? And…and why am I so interested in who is singing?

_To answer my question, the lights slowly come up and Luffy is standing in centre stage with a microphone in his hand._  
"~_Turns out, everything I say to you~  
~Comes out wrong and never comes out right~"_

_After Luffy's introduction, the crowd bursts into more applause, whilst Garp and Ace walk over to where Luffy's standing and put a friendly arm around his shoulder. Luffy does the same, his microphone now hanging over Ace's shoulder, whilst Garp and Ace hold their microphone's in their free hands. The trio then start to sing the chorus, slowly swaying to the left and right with large grins on their faces._

"_~So I'll say why don't you and I get together~_

_~an' take on the world, be together forever~  
~Heads we will and tails we'll try again~"_

A large smile slowly comes to my face and I find that nothing I can do will get rid of it. I can't believe how amazing heart warming it is to see the three of them together, singing a song. It's a brilliant feeling seeing the D family working together for a common goal for once, instead of fighting and squabbling. After all, they may be at each others throats most of the time but, in the end, the three of them are family and it's good to see them actually getting along…

Maybe that's why I'm smiling…

Or…just maybe…it's something else…

As Luffy keeps on singing with his brother and grandpa about how 'you' and 'I' should get together, I suddenly feel a weird sensation in my chest. It's a tingling kind of feeling. I always get that around Luffy though. I got it when I was sitting with Luffy in that tree house on Thursday. I got it when Luffy said he thought I was more interesting than English. In fact, I think whenever Luffy so much as smiles at me I get it. I've not properly noticed it until now, but it's definitely been there. For a moment, I focus on the video, my eyes suddenly locking with the Luffy on screen.

"_~Fly to the moon and straight on to heaven~"_

His dark eyes are shining with joy in the light. It's almost as if the joy is reaching through the screen. _  
"~Cause without you they're never gonna let me in~"_

I shake my head and quickly press the 'like' button (which it appears Marco has already done) and then, I tab off Facebook. The second Luffy is out of sight, the feeling stops almost completely.

"Mystery feeling…" I mumble to myself like Luffy used to, before collapsing back onto my bed and yawning loudly. I sigh with content and decide right then and there I'm going to fall asleep. It is late after all and I could just finish the article tomorrow and send it to Shiki then. Slowly, I close my eyes and relax against the comfortable mattress on my bed.

"_Why don't you and I get together and take on the world and be together forever?"_

"…If only…" I mutter quietly to myself.

* * *

_**3**__**rd**__** person P.O.V**_

"_Are you watching the news right now_?" Spandam's voice asked across the phone. Vegapunk nodded and chuckled to himself, his eyes never staying from the large big screen TV in his dark office. The only light was coming from the television itself and it was barely enough to light up Vegapunk's face.

"Interesting development" the orange haired man muttered to himself, adjusting his glasses accordingly with a wide beam on his face.

"You told me that this one would actually work!" Spandam pointed out angrily. Vegapunk nodded calmly.

"I just set up these super powered freaks. It's up to them if they complete their job or not, right?" Vegapunk explained. Spandam let out a sigh of irritation.  
"Mr. Zero will not be pleased…" he moaned. Vegapunk quickly descended into fits of laughter.

"He's never happy" Vegapunk giggled, fiddling with one of the ornaments on his desk. It was a small golden globe and he spun it around gently with one of his pointy fingers. Suddenly, the blue eyed man became deathly serious and leaned forward to watch the television closer "I'm still getting paid right?"  
"Of course" Spandam reassured him "I've had Blueno pay into your account. You'll receive the eighty hundred five thousand beri we agreed upon for your experiments on Lucci and we'll add in a five hundred thousand beri payment for your work with Galdino" Vegapunk couldn't have smiled wider if he tried.

"Good. So, when will Mr. Zero require my work next?" he asked hopefully.

"Mr Zero suggests you'll need to lay low for a couple of days" Spandam explained "From what we know about Galdino, he's a squealer. He doesn't know who Mr. Zero is of course but he knows who I am and he knows where your old lab is"  
"Old lab?" Vegapunk inquired, the interest in the globe ornament on his desk rising again, as he placed a finger on South America and spun it around slowly in order to get a better look at Africa.

"We're having it burned down tonight" Spandam informed him "Witnesses have hired to say it was some freak accident from a gas explosion. Any of your work notes will be saved before the burning"  
"Let them burn" Vegapunk insisted, carefully spinning the top off the globe and removing a small flash drive from it "I've got backups of the files…"  
"I'll inform the boys before they get to work. We'll provide you with a new lab of course and you'll be able to begin work again in a few days' time. Until then, keep your head down and stay safe" Vegapunk held in a sigh at Spandam's instructions. He had heard it all before from his clients.  
"Of course"  
"I probably won't contact you for a while" Spandam revealed in a low voice "We're in the middle of an investigation"  
"An investigation? Really? Do tell what it's about" Vegapunk requested, his smile growing wider with every passing second.  
"Security breach" Spandam simply stated "We think some people under Mr Zero's employ are working two sides of the fence as it were"  
"A spy?" Vegapunk asked, feigning shock at the revelation.

"Bingo" Spandam replied "We're currently trying to the source of the leak but so far, we're coming up with nothing"  
"What a shame" Vegapunk admitted mournfully "I will keep my eye out of course for a rat in our midst"  
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you doctor" Spandam concluded and with that, the phone went dead. Vegapunk sat where he was for a while with a smirk on his face, happiness spreading across his features before; he clicked a button on his phone with a grin.

Vegapunk had learned a long time ago that playing dirty was the only way to get ahead in the world.

"Sorry about that Wiper" Vegapunk cackled with glee "Someone was on the other line"  
"Wife?" a gravelly voice asked from the other side of the line.

"I wish" Vegapunk said, bursting into another batch of loud laughter "But no, it was a business associate of mine. I assume you called for a reason other than intruding in on my private life…"  
"Yes I did. I just phoned to check how those items I asked for are coming along"

"They're coming along splendidly" Vegapunk announced proudly "The jetpacks and other flight equipment will be finished within the month. As for the special weapons you ordered, those are taking slightly longer to prepare but, I can assure you they will be completed to Donflamingo's exact specification"

"Good. The Don's been waiting for a time to strike back against this Scarlet freak that's been ruining his business" Wiper revealed.  
"Tell the Don that there's nothing to worry about. All of my experiments will be completed on time" Vegapunk assured his client, before his laughter ceased and he once more became focused "Speaking of experiments, how's the boy?" Wiper took a while to reply.  
"He's coming along nicely. I think he'll be ready for a test run soon"  
"A test run?" Vegapunk gasped "I can't wait to see what Scarlet makes of him"  
"Trust me" Wiper said confidently "When our boy is done, the only Scarlet left in this city will be a blood stain on the floor…"

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 3: Polarity Act 1**_

"_Monkey D. Luffy" Beckman announces "your partner for this project will be…" He reaches his hand into the jar full of names and pulls out a second piece of paper "Boa Hancock…"_

_**Until then, I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I have the greatest profile picture in the world.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	9. Chapter 3: Polarity Act 1

_**...**_

_**I really can't think of any annotations to add here, so I'm just going to shut up and let you get on with reading this slightly lengthy chapter of Scarlet Wind.**_

_**Warning: This chapter will contain LOTS more swearing that usual, due to some 'new arrivals'.**_

_**Ps. Hope you like my attempt at doing spaced out lines Foxchicka17 :3**_

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Polarity Act 1**_

_**? P.O.V**_

"GET OUT OF HERE YOU ASSHOLES! THIS IS BARAQUE WORKS' TURF!" the masked man in the black costume yells. His eyes glare angrily straight at the man opposite his gang through the holes in his balaclava mask.

Whilst the masked man in black and his gang are dressed professionally, with assault rifles strapped to their backs and heavy body armour on their front, the other gang challenging them isn't NEARLY as well equipped. They're all wearing relatively average clothing, as if they were just recruited off the street.

Then again, looking at their leader, that's understandable. The guy looks plain ridiculous. He has shoulder length light blue hair and a pair of purple tinted glasses across his eyes. He's wearing a long white furred coat and underneath it, he's exposing his naked chest, which has the tattoo of an odd smiley face on it, crossed out with a black line going through it. The tattoo symbol is also on the centre his golden belt, which is holding up his red and white striped pants.

I thought Buggy looked like a clown but getting a look at this guy really changes my perspective.

"No way man" the light haired clown laughs, firing his SMG randomly into the air "the age of Baroque works is over! Say hello to your new crime lord, Bellamy the Hyena!"  
"Never heard of him" one of the masked men replied, aiming their assault rifles straight at the light haired man.

"You wouldn't have" he responds with a chuckle "he's knew in town but trust me, he was a big player back in Jaya and, lucky for you, we're having tryouts!" The masked men almost smile at the idea. I can just about see the small crease on each of their mask's where their lips should be.

"Oh really?" the leader of the masked men asks "well hate to tell you this buddy, but this Bellamy guy, he's low on the food chain. It doesn't matter about how big this friend of yours was in Jaya because here, Mr Zero is the big man on campus. Don't worry though, we're having tryouts too. Maybe this Bellamy of yours could work for Mr Z. I think the boss said he needed a new person to fetch him his coffee" The masked guards burst into laughter at the insult, whilst the light haired man and his bunch of thugs growled in reply. I quickly counted over them. There were ten or so people on each side.

"I don't think you get who we are!" the light haired man shouts angrily "I am 'Big Knife' Sarquiss! I'm a wanted man and right hand man to Bellamy. This is your last chance to give up and give us your shipment…"  
"No, I don't think you get who WE are" the leader of the masked men retorts "we work for Mr. Zero. His pinkie finger is worth more money than this Bellamy guy probably has in his entire body"  
"Well, I guess there's no dealing with amateurs then!" Sarquiss announces, aiming his SMG forward to threaten the masked men.

"Baroque works, get ready" the leader mutters as the small legion of thieves behind him aim their guns forward as well "tonight, we're going to take out the trash"  
"GET READY GUYS!" Sarquiss calls happily, drawing out a long sharp knife from his coat pocket "let's kick these idiot's asses!"

"Excuse me" the two gang leaders and all of their followers freeze and turn to me with shock as I speak "can anyone join this bad guy beat down or is it invitation only?"

"IT'S SCARLET!" the leader of the masked men yells angrily "BLOW HIS HEAD OFF BOYS!" the men behind him obey, turning their guns towards me and unloading a whole clip into a metal beam that I duck behind to escape the bullet fire. Then, I run around the corner of the metal beam and leap down into the crowd of masked thieves. I land on one of their heads and his body immediately crumples to the floor. Before he falls, I have enough time to kick forwards and, with an extra stretch of my leg, I get three of the armed enemies in the face.

"Wow, getting to foil two drug smuggling operations at once. Is this my birthday?" I ask with a grin, before grabbing two guards next to me and smashing their heads together before they had a chance to aim their guns at me. Both of them fell to the floor. By this time, the other masked men were pointing their guns at me, one in particular held by the leader was pointing in my face. Not only are these idiots pointing their weapons at me, but also Sarquiss and his group are pointing their weapons towards me. They're shaking with fear, whilst Sarquiss' eyes are as wide as two plates.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" he barks at me, shuddering and shaking like he was about to pee himself (and seeing as this guy was quite cowardly, he probably was about to). I shrugged with a laugh, blocking the rifles which two of the masked men were trying to beat over my head. Obviously these goons are learning that I and bullets just don't mix.

"Newbies, am I right?" I ask with a laugh "you can't live with them…" then, I yanked the two rifles out of the crook's hands and use the rifles as a pair of bats to smack the two around the head "you can't tell them where your warehouse operations are…" The two remaining masked thieves, the leader and a remaining nameless gang member, are already creeping away for me, realising they're outclassed right now. Sarquiss doesn't seem to understand yet and in a panic, he re-adjusts his aim and shouts loudly.

"I'LL ASK AGAIN, TELL ME WHO YOU ARE OR ELSE I'LL PUT SOME LEAD IN YOUR BRAIN YOU SICK FREAK!"

"Heart of a poet! Bet you get all the ladies with such nice compliments" I mumble with a grin "and you obviously haven't been watching the news recently have you? Name's Scarlet, the Scarlet Wind, resident hero of Dawn city. You must have heard of me!" Sarquiss' eyes widen and he glances up and down, most likely measuring me with his eyes, before he gulps in fear.

"Y-you mean you're the S-scarlet W-wind?" he cries.

"Good work Einstein, what was your first clue?" I question, cocking an eyebrow at the blue haired man "I didn't think there were many other people running around in tights in this city….though if you have, tell me, because I'm pretty sure they're stealing my gig…"

"SHUT UP DAMN IT!" Sarquiss suddenly yells getting irritated my constant joking. He pulls the trigger and fires a large wave of bullets towards me. I don't bother to dodge and as the first bullet hits my forehead, it immediately bounces back off and scatters the other bullets in the hailstorm to pieces. I've got to say, being immune to bullets has really helped me during my time as a superhero.

I may not be a man of steel but I am a man of rubber and as long as that stops bullets, that's good enough for me. Sarquiss squeals as the bullets fly back at him and his group and they (as well as the two remaining masked men from before) duck to dodge the ricocheting bullets. I laugh to myself and then start to walk towards the retreating thugs.

"Now, what do you say you? Are you going to surrender or do I have to kick your asses?"

"Does this guy ever shut up?" Sarquiss yells angrily, looking over towards the two other masked men. They chose not to comment and instead run out of the warehouse in a useless attempt to escape. Sarquiss growls and points to two of his men angrily "what are you waiting for? Get over there and get him!"

The two goons nod their heads and charge towards me, knocking through the small knee high pile of crates in front of them as they race towards me. As they charge me, I casually stretch both of my arms forward, hitting them both in the face. I walk past their unconscious forms and focus solely on the now shaking Sarquiss.

"Don't you know about us superheroes? We always try and give service with a smile" I joke, a wide grin of my own covering my lips. Sarquiss isn't amused. He lets out a whimper before stepping slowly backwards.

"Boss, we should get out of here…" one of the men beside him says. Sarquiss nods but I start to laugh.

"You guys think I'd let you guys get away? Nooooo" I stress out the last syllable as much as I can before continuing to speak on another tangent "…besides…" Almost as if I'd rehearsed this before, the police sirens suddenly kick in as Bellemere's squad car followed by two other police cars come whizzing through the barbed wire gates outside of the warehouse. The two fleeing masked men are caught by a fourth car pulling sharply out to block their way.

"I brought back up…" I reveal with a grin. In an instant, the three police cars have skidded to a halt and the brave red haired police captain pops out from her car, aiming a pistol at the thugs.

"POLICE! HANDS IN THE AIR!" she yells and, to my surprise, most of the gang members do just that. They fling their guns to the floor and raise their hands straight upwards. Sarquiss seems just as shocked as I am.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?" he asks. The others ignore him and wait for Bellemere and her officers to approach. They all look so scared that they can hardly move. Sarquiss is probably too stupid to notice how nervous he is right now.

"W-what are you idiots doing?" he calls to them. Sighing, I calmly stroll over to him and, after tapping him gently on the shoulder, I launch my fist forwards, hitting Sarquiss to the ground. He fell to the floor, covering his nose with his hand and then, he looks up at me as if I'm some sort of demon.

"And that's why when you know you're beat, you give up" I inform the light haired man, ruffling his hair as a police officer with short brown hair starts to forcibly restrain him. I calmly approach Bellemere, despite the cynical, almost critical, gaze she is giving me.

"You didn't have to hit the idiot like that" Bellemere reasons "he was completely in over his head…"  
"Sorry, just got kind of fed up with his whining" I admit, watching the group of thugs getting locked in handcuffs "It's getting late so I was going to get some rest before I saw these guys causing trouble…"  
"That was when you contacted us, right? About half an hour ago on that public pay phone outside" Bellemere mumbled to herself. I nod with a grunt, rubbing my eyes. What time would it be around now? Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Bellemere's lips twitch into a smile as she glances at me.

"Late nights?" she asks. I nod once more.

"Yeah, that's why I was trying to turn in early tonight" I told her with a yawn "These crooks just don't understand the concept of sleep, do they?" Bellemere chuckles a little at the question before she fully turns to face me with a caring smile.

"You've done enough tonight Scarlet. Go get some rest" she commands softly. With another yawn, I give her a mock salute and turn away from the warehouse. I stretch my arm out towards a building opposite the warehouse and quickly swing away from the scene. As I swing along the streets, watching the glass and brick structures race by me, I look down and notice that the streets are almost completely empty. Just how late is it anyway? I need to get a watch one of these days….

Maybe then I'll actually be on time...

I doubt it but at least I'll have some idea of how much trouble I'll actually be in when I'm late…

Whatever time it is, Makino and Ace are probably asleep by now and, for all they know, so am I. I slipped out of my bedroom window tonight after I told Makino I was going to go to bed. Knowing Makino and Ace, I can reasonably guess that they won't come in to check on me in the night and see that I've magically transformed into a fluffy pillow and a football. With that taken care of, I can just slip back into my room through the unlocked window (seeing as its large enough for me to climb through) and then I can catch some Z's before school tomorrow.

I'll have to get to school on time as well tomorrow morning, so now extra sleep for me. As Makino is keen to remind me, I am still grounded since the predator incident. Luckily, ever since I got that A in that test, she does seem happier than usual. If I'm on my best behaviour for a few more days, maybe she'll drop my curfew. Maybe she'll even get rid of my curfew tomorrow if I'm lucky. I'll be honest, after tonight, I feel super lucky. After all, I've taken out two gangs at the same time and now twenty criminals are off the streets and under lock and key.

Luck is defiantly on my side…

I just hope it lasts…

* * *

"…Is he awake?" a small curious voice asks.  
"I don't know he's been here since I arrived…" a sweet but irritated voice replies.  
"Think Makino gave him a lift in again?" another voice inquires. This one seems to be slightly croaky and husky. I don't need the small whiff of smoke to tell me it's Sanji.  
"I'm almost certain of it" the stern sweet voice answers.

"…Usopp, what are you doing?" a fourth voice asks, this one gravelly and gruff.  
"One second…it's in here somewhere…" a fifth high pitched voice speaks up.  
"Usopp…I don't think Luffy would like you drawing on his face" a hesitant and quiet voice suddenly chirps up to my left.  
"Kaya, come on! It'll be hilarious…" Usopp laughs.  
"…Well…" Kaya mumbles.  
"You're not actually agreeing with him on this are you?" the sweet, now angry, voice questions.

"W-w-well, Usopp is very good at art…" Kaya stuttered in response.  
"See? Don't worry Nami" Usopp reassures her "besides, he won't know who's done it seeing as he's asleep"  
"He'll know it's you Usopp. You're the only one of us that would do it…"  
"Then you shouldn't worry…he won't…even…see it…coming…" I can smell the strong smell of whiteboard marker as a popping noise cries out, most likely the lid being pulled off the marker.

"Put that thing on my face and I will make sure it is the last thing you do" I suddenly speak up as my eyes open. Usopp jumps back, fumbling with the marker in his grip. Chopper screams a little and leaps from his seat into Nami's arms. Unsurprisingly, Nami catches Chopper and refuses to flinch at my sudden awakening. Kaya grabs her chest and gasps. Zoro is sitting backwards on his seat and doesn't blink as I grin up at him. Usopp reaches out to catch the marker as it constantly avoids his grip but I manage to grab it in my free hand and pull it away from him.

For a moment, I look at the marker with a bored expression, and then I give a devious smile. It's been a LONG time since I had any fun with Usopp. He's a guy who you can just be your simple immature self around without any cares in the world. I need to start relaxing instead of being so uptight all the time. In that brief moment of thought, my resolve hardens and my grip tightens around the drawing device.

Time to play a good old fashioned game of cat and mouse…

"So you were gonna put something on me were you?" I ask, standing up slowly from my seat, a playful smile on my lips. Usopp steps backwards.

"L-l-luffy! I can explain!" he murmurs, slowly retreating.  
"I'm sure you can" I reply, taking a step closer "What would you like sir? A goatee or a curly moustache?" Usopp nervously laughs at me, before he turns around and then starts to run away. Immediately, I'm running after him, weaving between the small groups of assembled students, as well as the desks and chairs in the room. Usopp is screaming like a girl and I'm laughing like a maniac. No wonder all the eyes in the room are now on us…then again though, Hancock's always watching me…

It makes me want to disappear…

I shudder as I run past her desk but then, look up to focus on the fleeing Usopp.

"Luffy! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" Usopp cries mournfully, racing round Beckman's desk. I block him off from running the other side.

"Oh, you're going to be sorry Usopp…" I mutter, smiling sinisterly at my prey.

"Dude, you look SO creepy right now" Usopp squeaks, his eyes widening as he stares at me.

"Says the guy with the sideburns on his face" I shout at the long nosed man with a glare. Usopp looks at me quite confused.  
"What sideburns?" he asks.  
"Give me a second with this marker and then I'll show you!" I reply and lunge forwards with the marker. Whilst I manage to get some ink on Usopp's left cheek, he manages to weave around the desk escaping me.

"ROBIN! STOP HIM!" I cry, pursing the long nosed liar. Unfortunately, Robin is reading a book and lets Usopp pass without a fight.

"I only have one pair of hands Luffy" she replies with a soft smile. I shake my head and race past her, straight after Usopp. Now, Usopp is nearing my desk again. He realises quite quickly that I'm about to corner him and so, in a last minute act of foolishness, he reaches down and grabs Nami's work book off the table, holding it up in defence.

"You won't dare to get ink on Nami's book!" Usopp taunts with a laugh.

"Then I'll be careful" I simply reply, lunging forwards with another slash of the marker. Usopp raises the book up in a shield and I retract the marker slightly. By now, Nami has noticed what Usopp has and springs into action, following close behind me as I chase after Usopp along the outside of the classroom.

"Usopp!" she barks "Put that down or I'm raising your debt!"

"Make him stop then!" Usopp shrieks back, dodging another attack from the marker. Now, Nami turns her rage on me. She does look pretty when she's angry…wow, that was an odd thought…

"Luffy! Stop it!"

"I won't get your book messy" I respond calmly.

"LUFFY!" Nami yells, much louder now but once again, I ignore her. It feels like forever since I've had fun with the guys like this and I'm not giving up the chance now. Usopp quickly runs around the corner of the room, missing the door as it swings open. Noticing the obstacle, I slam my feet against the floor, coming to a complete stop. It takes until I turn around to look at the fierce face of Nami to realise that she didn't notice the opening door. Now that she does, however, she can't stop and so, she charges straight into me, sending us both flying to the floor.

As I fall backwards, all I can see is Nami's face. Those bright wide brown eyes are meeting mine. Her pale pink lips are parted as she gasps. She…she looks…she looks kind of nice in this light…

Then her right knee crashes right into my groin…

All of those bubbling feelings in my chest drop and my eyes grow wide…

I let out a loud blood curdling scream…

_**Beckman P.O.V**_

I study the three students walking behind me very carefully. It's been a while since we've had new students transferred to this school. It's nice to see some new faces. Rayleigh had a talk with each of the students individually before he handed them over to me, providing them with their timetables, answering any questions they had and generally making them feel welcome.

Now, as I look backwards towards the three of them to make sure they're following me, I start trying to match faces to names. After all, any good teacher knows that it is important to build a relationship between students as soon as possible to improve learning.

The first student closest to me is a boy with short black hair, though most of it is hidden underneath a small white fur hat with brown spots on the rim and covering the hat itself. Despite the formal white school shirt, the red tie and the black pair of trousers which make him look like a school student; the black haired boy looks mature beyond his years with a trickle of black hair sticking to his chin in a small goatee. It also looks like he is trying to grow some sideburns too. His record identifies him as Trafalgar Law. He's a prankster and his manners are apparently extremely bad. I'll have to keep an eye on him in future.

The second new transfer student is a girl with bright pink hair. She's also wearing a hat but her hat is a large green one that folds over in the middle. Unlike Law, she has abandoned her tie and traded her school shoes for a black pair of high heeled boots with two colourful stockings coupled with the boots. She has a piercing under her right eye as well. I can't help but cock my eyebrow when I look at her. Teenagers and their fashion crazes, I've never understood them and I don't think I ever will. She's Jewelry Bonney and her record lists a number of problems in class. She's unfocused, talkative and brash. Law and she make quite a comparison. Even now as we walk, they're engaged in a little squabble of sorts whilst student number three watches with a grin.

The third student is Eustass Kid. That's all his record says that's really not worthy. He's quiet in class and has completed tasks to a level of satisfaction in silence. He's also aggressive occasionally when confronted and is content to live in his own little world. He has bright red hair and dark red eyes. There's also a pair of goggles wrapped around his head and his white shirt is open, revealing a well toned chest. Once more, I glance through out the group and sigh.

They're an odd bunch of newcomers; I'll give them that…

"Hey Beckman!" I turn around and notice Bonney glaring angrily at me "how far away is the classroom?" she barks at me.

"At the end of this corridor" I reply simply, smiling at her "anxious to get some learning done?" Bonney laughs at me.

"You've got a good sense of humour Beckman I'll give you that"

"…er…thank you…but I'd prefer it if you called me Mr Beckman or sir"

"And I'd prefer to be at home eating a take-away" Bonney joked with a roll of her eyes "but it isn't going to happen, is it?"

"And I'd prefer it if you'd shut up for once" Law mutters angrily. Bonney turns to him with a glare, her red lipstick smudging as she scowls.

"No-one was talking to you, were they shit-head?" she shouts at him. Law growls in reply.

"Oh fuck off!"  
"What did you say you bastard!"

"Bonney! Law! Language like that is not allowed in this school!" I yell, turning to face them.

"Go eat a dick!" they reply, not looking away from each other as they argued. I sigh loudly, a hand rubbing the bridge of my nose. What did I do to get these argumentative rebels under my responsibility?

"Alright, both of you shut up!" I bellow, stopping in front of the classroom door and turning to face the two of them "we're at the classroom now. The sooner you quiet down, the sooner we can get you two on opposite sides of the room" My logical point worked and Law and Bonney nodded, folding their arms and facing away from each other. I smiled softly and reached over to open the door. As I opened it, I turned to face the three students and smiled "now keep in mind" I say quieter than usual "my classroom is a place of order and learning, so please try and stay calm and controlled…" My speech, however, was interrupted by a loud thump and then an ear shattering scream.

Immediately, I turned to look around and, to no surprise, I see Luffy is the source of the problem. He's lying on his back with Nami lying over him. All of the eyes in the classroom are on the two of them. Apparently, Luffy was the one who had screamed out in pain as he is wincing in pain as Nami springs up off of him. She looks quite flustered at the whole situation and seems a little scared at Luffy's pain.

"Luffy! I'm so sorry!" she yells "Are you okay?" Luffy's reply is to whimper. His hands appear to be nursing his privates. Gently, I kneel down over him.

"Luffy, are you okay?" I ask. His reply is barely a whisper "I'm sorry Luffy, I can't hear you. What's wrong?"  
"Beckman…come closer…" he mutters with a choke. I do as he says, moving a little nearer, inspecting him to see where he was hurt.

"Closer…" he whispers again and once more, I lean forward, my head now inches from his face.

"Now, what's wrong Luffy?" I ask with a worried glance. Luffy takes in a deep breath and then, without warning, he shouts right down my ear.

"NAMI KICKED ME IN THE FUCKING BALLS!"  
"Luffy! Language!" I chastise the young teenager, recoiling from the unpleasant noise that has filled my ears. Luffy refuses to listen and instead, keeps nursing his groin.

"SHIT! THAT HURT!" he complains once more.

"Luffy, I'm sorry. It was an accident" Nami apologises again, watching Luffy's pain with a sad frown. Suddenly, her frown fades and it is quickly replaced with a scowl "wait a minute; you were the one being immature and messing with my book! Why am I the one apologising to you?"  
"BECAUSE YOU'RE EVIL AND YOU KICKED ME IN THE BALLS!" Luffy shouts, shaking standing up off the floor. Nami glares at Luffy in return.

"Come on Luffy, it can't hurt that much!" Nami states "be a man!"  
"I AM A MAN, THAT'S WHY IT HURTS SO MUCH!" Luffy retorts "MAYBE IF YOU HAD JUNK THEN YOU'D KNOW HOW MUCH THIS HURTS!"

"Both of you! Quiet down and get in your seats!" I bark and reluctantly, the feuding couple do as they're told and head over to the back of the class to sit down. I sigh loudly, massaging the bridge of my nose once more.

Ah, teenagers and their strange ways of courting will always surprise me...

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

Forget Predator.

Forget Waxwork.

YOU CAN EVEN FORGET FREAKING GARP!  
Nami is the number one most destructive force I've ever met.

Angrily, I limp back into my seat, wincing in pain as I walk. Nami DEFINITELY has an incredible kick

"Drama queen…" I hear Nami mutter as she sits down at her desk. I glare at her in reply, crouching down slowly into my own seat.

"You know it wouldn't hurt for you to be nice once in a while!" I grumble. Nami folds her arms and relaxes back on her chair.

"Maybe you should try being a little more mature then" she complains. I grunt and then look away from Nami, giving her the cold shoulder. The class around us have quickly returned to their discussions, whilst I and Nami have been engaged in our feud. They're probably used to us arguing a little by now. For a moment, Nami and I look away from each other. Then, slowly, as usual, we turn back to face each other quite slowly. Apologies really weren't for such little instances as these. Without a word to one other, I and Nami exchange a look of understanding and I give a loud sigh.

"Can you hand me the paper please?" I ask, noticing the brand new newspaper sitting on her desk. Usually, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Vivi or Robin would buy the paper on their way to school so that before the first class, we could share it round the group so we could all read up on the latest news. Before I started being Scarlet, Nami used to skim through the news and just tell me the important bits since I couldn't really read very well back then. It wasn't that I couldn't, I just chose not to. However, seeing as I'm supposed to be the city's superhero, I decided a while ago that I need to keep up on the news going on in the city and reading the paper is the best way to do that…

Still doesn't mean I'm a great reader though…

"Nami, what does that word say?" I mutter to her, pointing to the headline with a small blush growing on my face. I hated relying on Nami for such a simple thing as reading.  
"Scandal Luffy" she tells me with an amused smile. I ignore Nami's mocking and turn to once again look at the paper. With a sigh, I quickly skim through the pages, studying the headlines for anything of interest. The first thing that catches my eye is on Page 10. The headline is something to do with Scarlet but that's not why I look at it. At the far bottom of the page, in the smallest print imaginable, I see some words that I never expected.

"NAMI! YOU'RE IN THE PAPER!" I suddenly announce quite loudly. Nami reacts quite calmly to this with a smile.

"Oh? Am I really?" she asks. I stare at her, stunned by how calm she is, before turning back to look at the article.

_The Scarlet Wind takes down his second super villain_

_Last weekend, the charity festival in downtown Dawn City was interrupted by an unexpected arrival. This arrival was Galdino Goldenweek, aged 36 and pictured right, who had transformed himself through unknown means into an unstoppable juggernaut in a giant suit of wax armour, becoming the second super villain to appear in Dawn City in the past week. Galdino, going under the new alias of 'Waxwork' terrorised the carnival until he was subdued by__ The Scarlet Wind._

_Captain Monkey D. Garp, aged 64, confirmed in an interview that Galdino Goldenweek is now in police custody and is no longer a threat to the public. However, the question of how these mysterious assailants are getting these abilities has yet to be answered. Whatever the case, the one fact that remains constantly clear is that our answer to these super powered threats is Dawn city's own heroic vigilante, The Scarlet Wind._

I quickly turn back to Nami, who's watching my shocked face with a smile.

"You like it?"  
"It's amazing!" I shout, my eyes still focusing on Nami's name at the bottom of the page. She was there when I beat Galdino yesterday, so of course she would have been reporting on it…but still, I didn't expect her to have actually written an article.

"It's only a little article" Nami concedes sheepishly.

"Doesn't mean it isn't awesome" I argue "how did you get your article in the paper though?"  
"Well, I got the job because Bellemere was an old friend of Shiki in the past and so; she managed to talk him into giving me a part time job" Nami explains. I nod in understanding then, suddenly, my smile widens.

"So you cheated then?" I question slyly.  
"No!" Nami "I merely used my mother's connections to get me further up in the business world…"  
"So you cheated then?"  
"NO I DIDN'T CHEAT"  
"It sounds like cheating!"

"Well it isn't!" Nami barks angrily, before sighing loudly "why am I still friends with you when you're so annoying anyway?"  
"Because I'm fun" I simply respond "I made you laugh, remember?" Nami reluctantly nods, her eyes closing as she remembers.

"I also remember a black haired little boy pulling me onto an adventure on my first day at Nursery, which ended in me getting a scraped knee" she retorts.

"I carried you back though, didn't I?" I remind her with a wag of my finger "and we've been best friends ever since"

"Somehow" Nami mutters cynically. I'm about to start arguing with Nami once more when Beckman calls out from the front of the class.

"Now, can I have your attention please?" he shouts from behind his desk. Of course, everyone quiets down and patiently listens to exactly what Beckman has to say "we have some new students coming here to Dawn High today and I'd like you to make them all feel welcome. Now, without further ado, Law, why don't you introduce yourself?" the black haired man in the fur hat looks quite confused at Beckman's suggestion.

"What do you mean Becks?" Law asks "you've already said my name"  
"Yes, I know. I mean that you should tell us a little bit about yourself. You know, things that you like, things that you hate, your hobbies and your plans for the future. Things like that" Law seemed a little bemused but, never the less, he still shrugged.

"Okay then, I'm Trafalgar Law. I guess I like watching horror movies. I hate the crap out of school and I'm only here because I promised my old man I'd come here and learn some shit. My hobbies include kicking ass and not asking questions later…and my dream for the future…well, I've always wanted to be a rap artist" Beckman stands still, blinking for a while, before he shrugs.

"Er…that was…enlightening Law" he mumbles nervously "What about you Bonney?" The girl in the pink hair looks up when her name is called and she takes a proud step forward before beginning.  
"My name is Jewellry Bonney and none of you assholes out there better forget it!" she shouts defiantly "I like eating food. Spicy, sweet, hot, cold, it doesn't matter. As long as it's food, I'll eat it. I don't like arrogant dickheads like Law here." She gestures over to Law with her middle finger as she mentions his name. The black haired man growls in response.

"Bonney!" Beckman spoke up, glaring angrily at the pink haired girl. Bonney snorts at Beckman's yell.

"You asked me a question and now I'm telling you, aren't I?" she replies angrily "Anyway, my hobbies are snacking on food and shopping. My dream for the future is to own my own restaurant so I can eat as much food as I want to!"

"…Thank you for that…unique introduction Bonney" Beckman mutters with a soft reassuring smile, then, finally, he turns the red haired student at the end of the line, who is standing patiently with his arms folded, waiting for his turn "okay then, Eustass, care to tell me a bit about yourself?"  
"My name's Kid" the new student quickly counters, giving Beckman a hostile glare. Beckman quickly recovers from it and holds up a hand.

"I'm sorry Kid" he apologizes. In the blink of an eye, Kid's rage disappears immediately and he gives a wide smile.

"No problem, Kid is an odd name after all" he admits with a grin, before turning back to the class "Hey everyone. My name is Eustass kid. I like certain things and I hate other things. My hobbies are activities I choose to do and enjoy and my dream for the future is to live my life to the fullest" Everyone in the room is stunned into silence by Kid's odd declaration. Beckman, in particular, seems to be a little confused at how easily Kid recovers his calmer persona.

"Well…okay then Kid. That was very…revealing" Beckman mutters, before he quickly shakes his head and moves on "now; you all have your timetables, so Law, I'd like you to take a seat next to Robin there" he points to an empty seat at the front, in front of Zoro and beside Robin. Robin held up a hand in greeting and Law gave a flirtatious wink in reply. I could hear Zoro's drooping eyes quickly rising to attention from his seat in front of me. I chuckle quietly to myself at Zoro's obvious reaction to Law's flirting. As Law sits down in his seat, Beckman looks towards Bonney once more.

"And Bonney, could you sit next to Ran?" he asked, pointing to the brown haired girl on the second row, motioning at the empty seat. Bonney nods and goes to sit down. Beckman watches as she sits down and then, he turns to the red haired student.

"Kid, you can sit next to Luffy if you don't mind?"  
"Of course not" Kid says, smiling a little sinisterly in my opinion. With a tentative step, Kid walks through the aisles of desks before stopping at his and carefully slipping into it. After doing so, he turns to me with a friendly smile and I feel my blood freeze. What is it with this guy? He seems so unnerving in everything that he does. Even that smile of his gives off a bad feeling. Quickly, I shake these creeping suspicions as Kid reaches a hand towards me. The guy's new here and he's probably just nervous around new people.

"So you're Luffy right?" he asks with glee "I'm sure we're going to be really close friends" I try and ignore the creeping feelings of uncertainty that sneaks up on me as I look towards Kid and find the courage to smile back.

"Yeah…I think we will too…" I say, reaching across and grasping Kid's hand in my own. Immediately, I regret doing this as Kid suddenly tightens his grip around my hand, as if he's trying to crush it in his vice like grip. I shudder slightly at the increasing pain but when I let go of his hand, Kid recoils his grip with a smile.

"Sorry about that pal!" he apologises "I don't really know my own strength, huh?" I stare at him for a moment in shock before I nurse my hand and give him a reassuring smile back.

"Yeah…I suppose so…" I mutter with an awkward laugh. Kid is REALLY getting to me now. I'm not sure whether or not he's joking anymore. This guy's mood swings are just insane.

"You know, we should hang out later" Kid proposes suddenly with that calm smile on his face "I think we have LOTS in common…"

"Er…I'm actually grounded right now, so unfortunately, there'll be no hanging out for me for a while" I explain hesitantly with an awkward smile. Kid laughs at the reason.

"Rain-check then?" he asks.

"…Y-yeah…" I nervously reply "rain-check…okay…"

"Sure. It'll be a red letter day for the both of us" Kid replies, before turning to the front. My eyebrow rises slightly at the odd turn of phrase but I choose not to say anything. I glance over quickly at Nami, who shrugs with a confused look on her face.

Glad I wasn't the only one who couldn't make heads or tails of Kid…

* * *

Time passed during class quite quickly. Soon, we were finished with form and into Beckman's next lesson, another science lesson. Of course, it was kind of boring and I didn't really pay attention through it but from what I could gather, Beckman was introducing a new topic, Magnetism. Even now, five minutes from the end of the lesson, he's still ranting on about it and we're all trying to take notes.

"When using Magnets, the opposite polarity will attract the other. In your exams, if you need to remember this, just remember the phrase 'opposites attract' and I'm sure you'll pass with flying colours" Beckman finishes his rant on magnetism and then, quickly glances down at his watch

"Alright then, seeing as it's near the end of the lesson, I'm going to announce your homework project" a loud groan fills the classroom and Beckman sighs in reply "oh come on, what are you guys? Six?"  
"If being six means not getting homework then, yes. Yes we are" I shout from the back of the room, getting a laugh from a few of the other students. Johnny and Yosaku, in particular, voice theirs agreements in the form of cheers. Beckman sighs once more and looks at me with a stern gaze.

"Luffy, if you want to pass science this year, you're going to have to do extra work" he chastises. Reluctantly, I nod with a sigh and signal for Beckman to continue

"now then, what I want you all to do for homework is to prepare for the next section of the curriculum we'll be working on, seeing as magnetism isn't that long a unit and we should be finished with it during the week. So, I want all of you to do some research and create a presentation about the different forms of renewable energy which is to be handed in on Thursday. Now, you're going to work in pairs for this project…"

Before Beckman can finish talking, the class cheers loudly. I lean over to Nami and smile at her, whilst she rolls her eyes.

"You're actually going to do some work this time though" she whispers to me over the cheers.

"Of course" I confirm with a smile "have I ever done you wrong?"  
"Well, there was that time when…"  
"That's a retongical question" I interrupt.  
"Rhetorical" Nami corrects me with a grin. I smile back at her, only to be suddenly be interrupted by Beckman's next announcement.

"Actually, you'll be doing the project in pairs, but I'll be CHOOSING your partners for you" Instantly, the good mood drops and the whole class gives another groan. Beckman ignores our protests and instead, grabs a small jar on his desk. Calmly, he reaches into the jar and pulls out two pieces of paper, each of which presumably have a name on.

"The first pair will be…Roronoa Zoro and…Ricciuto Sanji…" Silence fills the room almost instantly.

"I AM NOT WORKING WITH THAT BASTARD!" Sanji and Zoro yell at the same time, pointing to the other in disgust.

"Come on guys! This is fair. All of these are chosen randomly, so it's fair for everyone…" Beckman says, reaching his hand into the jar once more.

"And the next pair is…Boa Sandersonia…and Boa Marigold"  
"OH COMPLETELY RANDOM MY ASS!" Sanji and Zoro scream at the same time. Beckman ignores the two arguing partners and instead, reaches his hand in to choose the next pair.

"…Mahito Conis, your partner will be…Trafalgar Law…" he continues. Beckman turns around slightly to face Conis, who was sitting at the other side of the room. He smiled at her and gave another flirtatious wink, making Conis blush a little. I chuckle at Conis' nervous nature.

"Next up, Mendax Usopp, you will be partnered with…Mujakina Kaya" I resist the urge to laugh out loud as Beckman introduces the next 'couple'. I notice Usopp smiling triumphantly, giving a small 'yes' of joy.

"Monkey D. Luffy" Beckman announces suddenly, causing me to turn and look at him "your partner for this project will be…" He reaches his hand into the jar full of names and pulls out a second piece of paper "Boa Hancock…"

"BULL SHIT!" I shout loudly in return, standing up from my desk as I slam both of my hands onto it angrily. Beckman looks quite shocked at my outburst but quickly recovers and his gaze hardens.

"Luffy, sit down"  
"NO! WITH ALL DUE RESPECT BECKMAN, I AM NOT BEING PARTNERS WITH THAT" I falter for a moment, refusing to let my eyes look towards Hancock's place on the second row, behind Bonney "THAT BITCH!"

"Luffy! THAT LANGUAGE IS OUT OF ORDER! APOLOGISE TO HANCOCK NOW!" Beckman yells. I growl.

_She's a bully..._

"NO" I reply simply "WHY SHOULD I? SHE DESERVES EVERY BAD WORD I SAY"

"LUFFY! THAT IS UNCALLED FOR!" Beckman persists angrily.

_She threatened my friends to stay away from me…_

"IT'S PERFECTLY CALLED FOR!" I argue back angrily. Beckman, however, is adamant.

"Luffy, I am your teacher, and you will…" I've had enough of this.

_She hurt Nami…_

"READ MY LIPS BECKMAN! I AM NOT BEING HER PARTNER IF SHE WERE THE LAST PERSON ON EARTH!" Beckman opens his mouth to reply when, suddenly, the bell rings. Beckman jumps in surprise and quickly checks his watch. As he does so, I act quickly. I reach down under my desk and grab my bag and, in a fluid motion, I pushed everything on my desk into my bag. I hoist the bag onto my shoulders and slide out of my seat, heading straight for the door. Beckman spots me as I'm walking towards the exit and strides out to meet me.

"LUFFY! WE ARE NOT DONE HERE…" Before Beckman can reach me, I slide past him and grab hold of the door.

"Yes…we are…" I mutter, yanking the door open and stepping outside, before slamming it behind me. Crowds of students were already exiting their classes and I quickly joined the stream of white shirts and red blazers just as Beckman opens the door to follow me. He's too late though. I'm already gone.

Away from the classroom.

Away from the stupid assignment.

Away from Hancock…

Good riddance to bad rubbish…

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

The table was silent at lunch. No-one dared speak. Luffy sat silently next to me, munching on his sandwich quietly. Everyone seemed to be thinking about whether to speak or not. After all, Luffy's outburst in class wasn't something that could be so easily overlooked or forgotten. On one hand, I'm glad Luffy hadn't forgotten about what Hancock did (I still had a scar on my knee because of that little bitch). But on the other hand, I'm worried about what could happen to Luffy. I didn't want him getting in trouble because of some vendetta against Hancock.

"Luffy, don't you think you think you were being a little immature before?" Robin suddenly asks the raven haired boy sitting across from her. Luffy doesn't reply, munching on the sandwich in his hand.

"Aren't you being a little unreasonable?" Usopp joins in.

"Your face is unreasonable" Luffy mutters.

"See, you're acting so immature" Robin complains.

"Your face is immature" Luffy replied calmly, his eyes unfocused and tired.

"That doesn't even make sense"  
"Your face doesn't make sense"

"LUFFY! That stopped being funny two jokes ago!" Zoro interrupts with a growl. Luffy glares at Zoro for a moment, before taking another bite of his sandwich "I understand why you didn't want to be Hancock's partner but you shouldn't have taken all your anger out on Beckman like that. He's just doing his job"  
"I know" Luffy growls in reply, his eyes not meeting Zoro's gaze "well…what the hell should I have done?"  
"You could have had a quiet word with Beckman instead of throwing a tantrum like you did"  
"SHE HURT NAMI!" Luffy reminds Zoro bitterly.

"I KNOW WHAT SHE DID LUFFY!" Zoro replies, rising his voice angrily "BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE CONTROLLED YOUR EMOTIONS INSTEAD OF JUST GOING AT THE PROBLEM LIKE A MAD BULL!" Luffy's eyes widen at Zoro's words and then he slowly looked away from his green haired friend. Zoro sighed softly and gently patted his friend's back "look, Luffy, I'm just worried about you, we all are. You've been in trouble a lot recently and we don't want you to get in trouble just because of a stupid vendetta with Hancock"

"I know that Zoro…" Luffy mumbles quietly "…I guess I'll just have to do the presentation on my own…" Despite not having spoken for the whole of the conversation, I suddenly start laughing, attracting Luffy's attention.

"I'm sorry" I say with another laugh "but the idea of you actually doing your homework is so alien to me" Instead of being offended, Luffy starts laughing and then, smiling as wide as he can, he grabs at his chest.

"Nami, that hurts!" he says with a pout "your words cut deep! I can do homework whenever I want to"

"You just never want to…" Sanji adds in with a grin. The whole table bursts into laughter and the mood lightens quite quickly. Luffy looks over at me with a large smile as conversations pick up all over the table.

"Do you think you could give us a little help with the presentation then Nami?"

"I'm working with Robin" I explain "It'll be a little hard for me to work with you on it as well. Besides, I thought you didn't like spending time with me yelling at you"  
"Nami, if I said I didn't like it then you know I'd lie" Luffy responds with that playful grin of his. Once more, I feel that odd burning feeling in my chest but I ignore the mystery feeling as Usopp talks up in a loud voice.

"Every time you take to Nami then, you get tongue tied?"

"What are you getting at?" Luffy asks, his eyes widening as he begins to realise what Usopp is referring to. Chopper quickly buts in the conversation, a teeth-filled smile of his own peaking through his lips.

"Yeah, and everything you say to her ~comes out wrong and never comes out right~" the young brown haired boy sings the last few words and Luffy's face dawns with recognition. Before he can say a word, Usopp, Sanji, Zoro and Chopper all burst into song.

"~And so he'll say why don't you and I get together?~"  
"~AND TAKE ON THE WORLD AND BE TOGETHER FOREVER~!"

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU GUYS KNOW I SANG THAT?" Luffy asks, his cheeks turning slightly red as he asked the question.

"Ace" we all agreed unanimously. Luffy muttered a curse to his brother under his breath.

"It was hilarious!" Usopp shouts, bursting into a mocking laughter.

"Nojiko enjoyed it as well" I reveal "It's on her favourites list!"

"You do have quite a nice singing voice Luffy" Robin compliments the bashful raven haired boy next to me. After saying this, anything shy about Luffy's disposition disappears immediately and he starts smiling as if he's spotted a large piece of meat.

"Well of course I have a great voice" he said with a confident laugh, before he began to sing.

"~I KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES~!"

"STOP IT!" Usopp and Sanji insist, kicking out towards Luffy under the table. I laugh at the friendly conflict and find myself smiling widely as Luffy repeats the last part of the line over and over again in song.

For a day that started so bad, things had definitely gotten better quite quickly…

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

I finally get back home right before five thirty. I felt like visiting Sabo for a bit today, so I'm currently late for my curfew. As I approach the door, I give a loud sigh, before placing my hand gently on the handle. I push the handle down and thrust my hand forwards, opening the door quite easily. It's not locked. Typical. Makino is probably waiting for me inside. I step quickly into the porch, closing the front door after me before walking inside.

"Monkey D. Luffy, shoes off the clean carpet!" I hear Makino shout from the kitchen. My eyes widen slightly. No complaining from Makino about me being late? Does that mean my curfew is over? SCORE! A quick show of victory by dancing on the porch like a lunatic is quickly followed by me removing my shoes, placing them on the floor. I leap into the house, landing on the carpet with a happy bounce in my step. Steadily, I approach the kitchen, listening to Makino's voice. From what I can tell, she's talking to someone over the phone.

"Yes, that's him now…I'll call him in for you then sweetie"  
"Sweetie?" I murmur out loud, my eyebrow rising in confusion.

"Just one second. LUFFY! SOMEONE'S ON THE PHONE FOR YOU!" she yells loudly. I enter the kitchen as she yells and pretend to clear my ears out.

"Think you should yell a bit louder Makino. I'm only deaf in one ear" I complain. Makino chuckles with a shake of her head. The phone is resting in her hand, whilst it looks like her other hand is playing with the wiring. Makino always does that. She's so active that when she's on the phone, she can't keep her hands still. For a moment, I wonder who could be on the other side of the phone.

"Is it Shanks?" I ask, remembering the 'sweetie' comment "Nami? Robin? Vivi?"  
"It's some girl from your class" Makino explains with a smile "her name's Hancock. She's phoning to confirm a time when you two can work together on your presentation"

I freeze in place, my eyes as wide as saucers.

"She sounds nice" Makino continues with a smile "and cute. She's a keeper!"

"Yeah, in the basement" I mutter angrily to myself, before faking a smile "why don't you let me have a talk with Hancock? I'm sure you've got more important things to do than play messenger for me right" Makino gasps in realisation as I say this and quickly checks her watch.

"Oh no! I didn't realise I was so late! I spent so long talking to your friend that I forgot to get the ironing finished! Ace isn't going to have any fresh uniforms for tomorrow!"  
"Well we can't have that now, can we?" I say with a smile "so, why don't you do that and as soon as I'm done talking with Hancock, I'll come and help you, okay?"

"Okay then Luffy" Makino agrees with a smile, handing me the phone and then quickly making her way towards the ironing board, which I presume is in the living room, so she can catch that drama of hers she watches whilst she quickly gets working. As soon as she is out of the room, I carefully close the door behind her and take the phone in hand.

"WHO THE FUCK SAID YOU COULD CALL ME?" I snarl quietly but harshly into the phone.

"Hello to you too" Hancock's sad voice calls from the other end of the line. As she speaks, I suddenly feel an odd pang of pity and sympathy in my chest but I ignore it and focus on my uncontrollable rage.

"WHERE DID YOU GET MY PHONE NUMBER AND WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING ME?" I growl angrily.

"Didn't Makino tell you? I phoned so we could organise a day to do the homework project together…" Hancock reveals.  
"What part of I am NOT going to be your partner do you not understand?" I hiss at her "Is it the NOT or the GOING TO BE?"

"Luffy…I know you don't exactly like me…"

Understatement of the CENTURY!  
"Really?" I ask, faking surprise "I thought you and I were best buddies?"

"AND I know you still haven't forgotten what…" Hancock pauses uncomfortably for a moment "what I…did to Nami…"  
"No shit" I grunt angrily "YOU never apologised…"

"Luffy! For once, can you actually listen to me?" My reply is silence "All I want to do right now is to just get this presentation done and out of the way and Beckman says that I have to do it with you…"  
"AND you want me to take you out on a date" I accuse with a growl. Hancock was quiet for a moment.

"The sooner we can meet up and finish this project, the sooner you never have to meet up with me ever again" she reasons.  
"But…" I start to protest when, suddenly, Hancock interrupts me, loudly and defiantly.

"Luffy. Give me a chance. Please. All I'm asking is for one hour of your time just to get this homework finished. THAT'S ALL!" Hancock finishes, taking a deep shaky breath. At the sound of her trembling breath, I shudder slightly. Once more, the pang of pity rings out from my chest, though this time it expands a little. My eyes droop for a moment and I tighten my grip around the phone.

I…I had been quite cruel to her recently, hadn't I?

At every turn, I shot her down like a shotgun blast to the face. I could have been nicer to her if I had wanted to. A lump of guilt settled in my throat.

She'd hurt Nami…

"People change" a voice in my head argued, but I ignore it.

"…For an hour?" I clarify. Hancock's voice suddenly becomes a lot brighter.

"…Yeah…" she says hopefully.  
"Where?" I question.  
"Well…you could come round to mine…if you want?" Hancock suggests.  
"ONLY for an hour?" I ask again.

"Yes" Hancock replies simply, a little disheartened. For a while, I just stand where I am. My mind tossing and turning over the decision.

"…Okay…" I finally mutter.

"Really?" Hancock asks, her voice so lighthearted that I could picture the grin on her face.

"I'm not doing it for you" I quickly correct her "I want to get a good grade as much as I do. I'M NOT going to forgive you for what you did to Nami…"  
"I'm…okay with that" Hancock replies quietly.

"…How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow's good" Hancock confirms happily.

"Well then…I guess I'll see you then…"  
"Bye Luffy"  
I don't bother to reply and place the phone down on the hook. Calmly, I start to walk away before stopping an inch from the door.

Something is wrong…

I'm smiling…

I'm SMILING after a conversation with HANCOCK!

Quickly, I check my temperature but it seems normal.

For a moment, I stand completely still. Finally, I sigh loudly and open the door, heading towards Makino in the living room.

Oh yeah, things were definitely changing…

Though I don't know whether they're changing for better, or for worse…

* * *

_**3**__**rd**__** person P.O.V**_

Professor Hira Haruki was new working at Flamingo industries. He was also unsure of himself and incredibly nervous and shy. Even as he walked alone through the white and black corridors, his footsteps were nervous and careful. Haruki tried to keep his wits about him (what little he had) as he reached the large sealed door with the words 'Restricted Area'. He had been sent here by Donflamingo himself to pass on a message. Quicker than Haruki expected, the door to the room opened. It was a large room. On the other side of the room, there was an office with blocked out windows. Of course, most of the room was in a domed off area, full of the various experiments that Mr. Donflamingo had ordered.

"Dr. Vegapunk…" Haruki called nervously. There was no reply. He took another step forwards "Dr Vegapunk…AHHHHH!" Haruki suddenly screamed as he looked straight into the eyes of a brown haired young man with freckles and a pair of glasses over his nose. Haruki quickly recovered and laughed to himself.

"Look at yourself Haruki. You're scared of your own reflection here…"  
"You could say it's like looking in a mirror...THE FUN HOUSE KIND ANYWAY" the new voice scared Haruki so much that he fell to the floor as he turned to look around. Standing behind him, on what looked like a flying hover board, was a tall man in an odd costume. The man was wearing a black biker's jacket that was partially zipped up and a scruffy pair of faded blue jeans. His face was hidden by a large dark grey ski mask which covered all of the man's face above his nose, hiding the man's eyes in a pair of red slits. Haruki was too stunned to speak as the man laughed loudly at his surprise.

"W-w-who who are you?" Haruki managed to splutter out. The assailant in question gave him a wide smirk.

"My name…hmmm….I haven't thought of one actually. But, I suppose I need one…" the man muttered to himself, thinking with a grin "I guess I'd like to be called…how about The Metal Monarch? Sounds catchy doesn't it?" Haruki was too stunned to reply "Don't answer. I know it's perfect"  
"You…you…" Haruki spluttered "that…that thing you're riding on! IT'S DOCTOR VEGAPUNK'S PROTOTYPE SKY BOARD! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GIVE THAT WIPER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"

"Well, it's mine now" Monarch responds with a laugh "you can't separate us now, we've bonded!" To illustrate this, Monarch knelt down and patted the board. The board responded by humming with joy.

"DOCTOR VEGAPUNK!" Haruki shouted loudly "SECURITY! ANYONE!"

"I do hate squealers" Monarch mumbled to himself, before the sickeningly wide grin returned again "but, fear not, if you're so good at squealing, get the word out of my arrival! SOON THIS CITY WILL BE MY PERSONAL PLAYGROUND!"

"Y-y-you're insane…" Haruki announced.

"AND I LOVE IT!" Monarch replied, before he tapped the board with his right foot, causing it to raise off the ground. Now, Monarch was hanging upside down on the board, suspending himself in mid-air "AND ALSO, IF YOU CAN, GET A MESSAGE OUT TO THE SCARLET WIND! TELL HIM I'LL BE PICKING UP HIM ON OUR… 'rain-check' very soon…" With that, Monarch rose triumphantly upwards, as fast as a lightning bolt. The glass smashed everywhere as he exited and Monarch's loud laughter echoed through the night sky.

"AND WHEN THAT TIME COMES, I'M GOING TO PAINT THE TOWN RED!"

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 3: Polarity Act 2**_

_**Until then, I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	10. Chapter 3: Polarity Act 2

_**After an agonisingly long wait, here is the latest chapter of Scarlet Wind for you all to enjoy.**_

_**And of course, seeing as it's been such a long wait, I don't want to keep you from reading it too long but, before you begin to read, there is something important I must remind you.**_

_**No matter what, this story is a LuffyxNami story, though I admit, it is going to be an eventual LuffyxNami story…**_

_**You see, I've also been wanting to add in more conflict into my writing. Let's face it, the only thing stopping Luffy and Nami getting together in this story so far is confusion, indecision and my own need for torturing others with 'will they? won't they?' plots (I'm one evil person but you probably all knew that).**_

_**So, I thought to myself, how do I create more conflict and tension? And the answer came to me…**_

_**What did I think up?  
Well…you'll see…**_

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Polarity Act 2**_

It's Tuesday. The time is just around four o'clock. After leaving school, I walk home with Nami, seeing as we were both heading in the same direction. She and Robin had finished a lot of their project because today Nami is being taken out to dinner.

No, I don't mean she's got a date or anything like that. It's just that Bellemere has been going out with some guy for the last two months and, to be honest, it seems they're getting pretty serious about it. In fact, her date actually wants to get to meet his new daughters. I really like it that Bellemere's new boyfriend is already considering Nojiko and Nami as family. He must be one awesome guy and he seems to really be in love with Bellemere.

To be honest though, I haven't ever met him. Bellemere and I don't talk much when I'm out of the costume and when I am, we usually talk about crimes, cases and such. We hardly mention our relationships (or in my case, lack of).

Once again, I probably won't meet him tonight. I've got other 'business' I need to take care of. As we pass by Nami's house, she stops and looks back at me with a hopeful smile.

"Good luck…" she says.

"I'll need it…" I respond bitterly, pretending to grab the 'good luck' she had offered out of the air. Nami shakes her head and watches sadly as I walk away. It doesn't take long before she's out of sight. I sigh loudly.

I'm on my own…

Around ten minutes and six streets later, I find myself standing in front of the last place I want to be. The front of the house is pretty average to be honest, just a bland pale white colour with a pair of windows on the second floor and a single window next to the door. It seems to be dark inside the house and for a minute, I wonder if I've stumbled across a haunted house.

I wish, but no. I knew where this was. With a sigh, I gently step along the path to the front door, gently pushing the rusty old gate out of the way to allow me entry. The path towards the house is nicely kept and the stones seem to be filed down correctly. The only problem is the garden out front which resembles nothing more than a rough patch of soil.

Hesitantly, I step forwards. Each step my sense of dread increases, whilst the door slowly creeps towards me in return. I wish it would take an eternity to get to the door but, unfortunately, I'm soon standing right in front of it. With a loud sigh, I reach my fist up and grasp the lion faced knocker. After a pause to get my breath back, I finally knock on the door.

Inside, I can hear a rummaging noise and frantic feet moving towards the door. As I see a blurred face appear in the small window on the door, I take in a large shaky breath. The door slowly opens, revealing a teenage girl with long black hair.

Her school uniform has been traded for a light pink T-shirt with a white skull and crossbones on the front. She is still wearing the usual black skirt she wore to school today and that small smile of hers is also being worn on her lips.

"…Hello Luffy…" she said happily, his rosy cheeks becoming even redder when she laid eyes on me. I did not greet her in return.

"…Can we get this over with?" I grunt. Hancock's smile disappears quite quickly and she gives a small sad nod before opening the door wider so I could go inside.

I sigh.

"Welcome to the lions den Luffy" I think to myself as I take a small hesitant step inside.

* * *

I've never been in Hancock's bedroom before and I don't plan to come here ever again if I could help it. The house, strangely enough, isn't as nice as I thought it would be. The wall paper on the landing wall is crumbling and the colour itself is a dull shade of brown. Hancock's door is the cleanest thing on the landing, being almost completely white except for the small name plate that hung on the door, that being a bright red.

She opens her bedroom door as we approach and ushers me inside. Reluctantly, I enter with gritted teeth. The second I step inside, I feel like I've been hit by a large seizure of colours. It's as if Hancock had plucked a rainbow from the sky and thrown it around her room. Everything had a bright colour to it, from the bright red bed sheets to the green carpet to the cobalt blue wallpaper. It's as if the colours themselves are trying to attack me. Luckily, the shock quickly wears off as Hancock follows me in, closing the door behind us.

If I hear her lock the door, I'm bolting it through the window…

But, to my surprise, Hancock didn't do anything like that and, instead, she strolled confidently towards her nearby desk. I remain stationary, watching the room around me. Above Hancock's desk, which has a large computer screen that appears to double as a TV screen, there is a small shelf full of cuddly toys. Everything from rabbits to bears is there and I can't help but feel un-nerved at seeing Hancock having cuddly toys.

Shouldn't they all have no heads or something like evil like that? This is getting weirder by the second.

I slowly drop down onto Hancock's bed, glancing around a little more.

"…Luffy…" the small voice surprised me and I looked over to see Hancock smiling softly at me. I glare at her in return.

"What?" I bark at her. Hancock takes my anger in her stride and gently pats the absent chair next to her with a hopeful grin. My glare shifts to the chair. So that will be my torture for the next few minutes…having to sit next to Hancock…

"Come on...I won't bite…" she muttered quietly.

"…Are you sure about that?" I growl at her in reply. Hancock's expression quickly changes from an optimistic smile to a depressed frown. Once more, as she does this, I feel the odd twinge in the pit of my stomach as she does this. I sigh loudly and reluctantly stand up and walk over to the vacant seat, dropping my bag on Hancock's bed as I leave.

I didn't know why I was playing along with Hancock's game but all that really matters is that I AM playing her game.

With a sigh, I dropped down onto the chair and looked away from Hancock. I swear I could hear the dark haired woman sigh as I did so, but I chose to ignore it.

"…So…" Hancock mutters, starting up the computer "where do you want to start?"

"The beginning is usually a good place…" I reply, fiddling with the pen on the desk. I can tell Hancock is frowning at me but I shook it off.

"Luffy…" Hancock's voice is quiet and nervous "we…we need to work together to do this…"

"…Yeah…" I reluctantly agree, turning to face Hancock "…let's…try getting a list of renewable energy sources together to start off… if you want to of course" when I'd asked Usopp about how he and Kaya were going to start working on the homework, he suggested that that was the best way to do things, so I might as well check it out.

"…O-o-okay then" Hancock replies a small smile appearing on her face. For some reason I'm not quite sure of, I actually smile back at her. As she turns to the computer screen though, I look away, a hand rising to my face. Seriously? What was wrong with me? I'm acting REALLY weird around Hancock today.

As Hancock's fingers type relentlessly on the keyboard, I decide to look around on her desk for something to occupy my time with. After all, she is technically doing all the work and I've never been good with computers. I was basically just here because I needed help doing my homework. If I could have done it on my own, I never would have bothered coming here...then again, this wasn't so bad.

It had been five minutes and Hancock hadn't tried to chain me to the bed yet…and, as much as I hate to admit it, it didn't hurt having to sit next to her…well, much anyway. There is weird tingle in my chest that wasn't there before she arrived. Is it getting hotter in here or something?

Ignoring the mystery feelings that were suddenly toying with me, I glance around the room once more. I need something to distract me from the current situation…

Suddenly, an object on Hancock's desk caught my eye. As I notice it, I stretch out my hand to grab it in both hands.

"Hey…is this a picture of us from last year?" I ask, clutching the small light blue picture frame. I could hear Hancock's fingers stop and her hot breath tickles my ear as she talks over my shoulder.

"Oh yeah, it is…" she says, tracing a finger along the edge of it "I forgot I had this…" she admits, somewhat shamefully. I wasn't sure whether she was telling the truth or not, seeing as though the picture itself looked in perfect condition. It was as if it was brand new. Nostalgia seemed to flow from the picture though, as if it truly was as old as she claimed. The photograph itself made my lips curl upwards into a smile as I looked at it. Everything seemed so simple back then.

It is the class photo and because of that, there were three levels in order to fit everyone in the class on the picture. First, there are the smaller students sitting on the floor, whilst the medium sized students sit above them on benches and the taller students sit above all of them on an elevated row of benches. In the centre, as always, there's me.

I glance over towards the hand mirror Hancock had on the table beside her make up kit.

I hadn't changed much had I?

I mean, I looked almost exactly the same on the picture. I even had the same goofy look on my face as I had my arms looped around Nami and Zoro's shoulders, pulling them closer towards my position. Both the green haired man and the orange haired woman are smiling at the camera, though Zoro's expression looks slightly shocked as well, with one of his eyes closed tightly shut. Nami's bright grin has always been a rare sight to see but a part of me is glad it had been captured and immortalised on this photo.

Beside Nami, there is Sanji, who looks like he needs a smoke desperately. His fingers appear to be drumming along the bench impatiently.

Sitting on the other side of Zoro, Yosaku and Johnny are laughing together, giving thumbs up and peace signs to the camera.

Sitting in front of me on the floor is Usopp, who's grinning as he glances at Kaya, who is resting her head on his shoulder with a wide smile.

Next to Kaya and below Sanji is Vivi, who's waving at the camera shyly.

Chopper is sitting next to Usopp and he's got a toothy grin on his face as well. If I'm right, that was the first year he was with us and now, he's like a part of the family.

Above me, on the row behind, is Hancock, who's smiling as well, her arms hugging my neck.

Next to her on either side are Sandersonia and Marigold, who were also smiling at the camera from either side. On the outer seats, Ran and Daisy are smirking as well.

Everyone looks so happy.

"This brings back memories" I mutter, smiling fondly at the image in the frame. Surprisingly, I hear Hancock's joyful laughter in agreement and once more, I can feel her looking over my shoulder once more.

"Yeah…things were good back then" she says with a disappointed sigh. I turn to look at her just as her eyes widen "hey, do you remember that time Johnny and Yosaku brought that stray cat into class?"

"Who could forget?" I question back with a chuckle "It climbed up onto Zoro's head and had a snooze there. It was hilarious when he woke up and noticed it…then I think you tried to kick it out a window"

"It got in my way" Hancock replies sheepishly, turning away from me with a blush. For some reason I wasn't actually quite sure of, I start laughing at the shy expression on her face and then give her a playful nudge.

"You missed though and tripped Beckman up, remember?" I ask with another laugh.

"It was an accident…" Hancock mutters an excuse, folding her arms with a pout "it got stuck in detention for a week…you were there too though, right?"

"I'd set off a stink bomb" I remind her with pride "it was the perfect prank…right up until I got caught…"

"That would be a major problem…" Hancock agreed with a small giggle "but detention was actually a lot of fun. It was just you and me, remember?"

"Yeah, it was pretty fun" I admit, scratching my cheeks with a small laugh. Honestly, it WAS fun though. Hanging out with Hancock was kinda cool, even if it was in detention. I mean, she was always really nice to me. She used to give me some of her lunch when she wasn't hungry and if ever I needed a favour, she'd help me in a heart beat.

She really was a nice per-

WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING!

Did I just forget about everything she'd done?

She is a selfish manipulative bully and she had hurt Nami for no reason!

Why am I thinking like this?

Quickly, I look away from her, the weird squirming in my chest getting me quite irritated. Hancock must have noticed this as a few seconds later, she leaned a little closer to me.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"Nothing" I reply in a monotone voice "can you just get back to getting that research stuff for us?" Hancock, however, did not have any intention of doing as I requested. Instead, she sighed and scooted her chair closer towards me. In response to this, I shuffled away from her.

"Luffy, look, if this is because you're still holding onto…what I did to Nami...I'm sorry" she began hesitantly.

"Why have you never told her that then?" I suddenly snap at her in reply, turning to face her with a glare "why haven't you ever gone up to her and said sorry? Sure it wouldn't heal everything you've done in an instant but it would be a start!" Instead of replying immediately, Hancock shies away from my gaze.

"…At first…it was because…I honestly didn't want to…" Hancock admits shamefully "I thought…I thought that she…was trying to take you away from me…"

"Take me away from you?" I ask, squinting at her words with confusion "What does that mean?" Instead of explaining, however, Hancock actually starts smiling.

"You've grown up a lot…but in the end, you're still my same dense Luffy, aren't you?"

"Your Luffy?" I question with a gaping mouth. Hancock gives a sigh, before she continues on, ignoring my question.

"But…now…well, it's just for reasons of personal pride…" she explains. I'm not sure whether she is lying or not about that reason and since I couldn't tell, I decide to try and think she's telling the truth.

"Reasons of pride? Why can't you just show some…some…" I drum my fingers on the desk for a moment, searching my mind for the word that alluded me.  
"…Humility?" Hancock suggests. I nod turning to face her.

"Yeah! It's a stupid reason for not apologising!"

"I'm sorry"  
"Don't tell me that, tell HER that!" I reply firmly.

"Luffy..." she begins but then immediately stops and shakes her head before starting to speak again "listen, my point is that…I've changed. I'm not the same person I once was. I can change, people do change"

"Oh yeah, like who?" I ask, turning away from Hancock and resting my head in the palm of my hand. To be honest, I know the question is kind of dumb but honestly, all I want is to get Hancock to shut up right now…

Every time she talks I'm starting to feel kind of weird…

"You"

Her reply stuns me and I jump in surprise, my hand slipping away from my face as I look over to her.

"…What?" I ask in shock.

"You've changed" Hancock states clearly.

"What are you talking about? I haven't changed?" I ask, feeling sweat pouring from my brow.

"There, you're doing it again" Hancock suddenly comments with a frown.

"What?" I bark at her.

"Lying to me" Hancock says sadly, moving backwards on her seat so she was farther away from me "the old Luffy…never used to lie…"

I am left quiet at that statement as Hancock continues to speak "you used to be so happy and so laidback. You were playful and, no offense, but you weren't exactly the smartest person in the world…"

"Yeah, I'm really touched you said that" I comment, rolling my eyes. Hancock picks up on this however and points at me.

"See! That's my point! You used to think sarcasm was a type of fish. Now, it's almost everything you say…"

I wanted to argue…

I wanted to plead and say I was the same old Luffy and that I haven't changed. That I'm still dumb and gullible but oh so much fun…but I can't.

I can't argue with Hancock…

Because she's right.

I have changed.

Not physically really but I'm definitely not the same as I was before Sabo died.

Maybe that was because Sabo died.

Maybe that was because I became Scarlet.

Or maybe it was just the Bluejam incident that fully rid me of my child-like innocence.

Whatever the case, I've changed. For better or worse, I'm not really sure…

"You've changed" Hancock continued "and I've changed too. I'm giving the new you a chance…so why won't you do the same?" Those words oddly cut deep into me. I find myself suddenly breathless to speak. Hancock was staring at me, her eyes intense and fiery, yet also oddly soft and gentle. It confused me but also entranced me.

"H-h-hancock…I…I…" I tried to speak but found the words refused to come. Suddenly, I hear a loud banging from downstairs. Both I and Hancock turn around in our seats and face the door as we hear the banging of someone running up the stairs.

"Sister!" someone shouted as Sandersonia barrelled through the door. She looked over at me for an instant, before turning over to face Hancock "we've got a problem"  
"What do you mean?" Hancock asks.

"He's here" Sandersonia replies. Instantly, Hancock's face starts to pale.

"You mean…" she began but Sandersonia interrupted her.  
"Yes…father's here…" This sudden chaos threw me off balance and I find myself completely silent as I just watched the two sisters's shouting at one another as Hancock stands up and begins to panic.

"But he just came on last Thursday, didn't he? Why is he coming in now?"  
"I don't know!"  
"Where's Nyon? Is she here? Tell me she's here!"

"She's not got home from work yet"  
"Oh…this is…LUFFY!" Hancock suddenly turned round to look at me, her eyes full of worry. At that moment, I suddenly found my voice and glanced between the two sisters in bewilderment.

"What's going on?" I ask quietly. For some reason, my voice refuses to go any higher as if, for some reason, it dares not to.

"No time to explain! You need to get out of here!"  
"Get out of here? Why?" I ask.

"No time" Hancock replies firmly, before looking over to Sandersonia "can we smuggle him out the back?"  
"No, father would spot him when he's coming in the front…what should we do?"  
"We'll have to hide him…" At Hancock's statement, I stand up.

"Hide me? Hide me from what?" I inquire, glancing between the two. This was all seeming pretty insane all of a sudden.  
"Listen! Just get in here!" Hancock shouts, opening her closet door.

"Why?"

"Just trust me and get in there!" Hancock yells, reaching over and grabbing my hands. Before I can resist, Hancock pulls me hard over towards her and practically throws me into her closet. I land on a soft pile on clothes and immediately, try to sit up again, only for Hancock to gently push me back down "please Luffy…I don't want you to get hurt…just stay quiet"

"Hancock, what are you talking about? Why would I get hurt…" I shout in reply. Suddenly, however, there is a loud bang from downstairs. It sounds as if someone has roughly opened and then closed the front door.

My voice dies in mouth at the sound and before I can say another word, Hancock pushes me back down into the clothes and puts her finger to her lips. The message is obvious.

Stay quiet…

Then, she shuts the door as quickly and as quietly as she can. In that instant, I am bathed in complete darkness. I can't see anything. I can't hear anything. I'm essentially cut off from the world. I'm full of so many question. What was going on? Why did Hancock hide me in here?

And, more importantly, why was it a bad thing that their father was popping round for a visit?

Then…

Footsteps.

I can hear slow but harsh confident footsteps making their way up the stairs.

The door to Hancock's room swings open and I bite my lip.

"…Hancock, how are you?" an unfamiliar male voice calls. My keen ears detect that the man's speech is slightly slurred.

"…Hi…" I hear Hancock's timid tone "what are you doing here?"  
"Can't a loving father just visit his daughters?" the voice asks. More sounds. Floorboards creak "so, how've you been?" Immediately, my eyebrow rises. Hancock wanted to me to hide from this guy? Sandersonia said it was their dad right? He seemed nice enough.

"…Alright I guess…" Hancock's voice replies nervously. Springs squeak. Footsteps stop right outside the closet. Despite my doubts, I stop breathing with my mouth and start doing it from nose.

"What's wrong?" the male voice questions "you seem a little nervous princess. Is something the matter?"  
"…No…"

"Come on Princess, you can tell your old man anything" the man's voice says once more. His footsteps patter away from my hiding place. In those few moments before he walks away, however, breathing through my nose tells me an important fact I hadn't noticed before. Hancock's father stinks of beer. It seems to emit from him like an aura of some kind. From this fact, I manage to guess something else, especially when I pair up his odour with the slurred speech. Hancock's father is most likely drunk.

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong" Hancock repeats firmly. The man gives a grunt of understanding "…w-what about you?" Hancock asks nervously.

"What do you mean? What about me?" the man's voice suddenly becomes louder, more defensive at the question.

"…W-w-well…no, no, it's nothing"  
"What have I told you about lying to me!" Hancock's father suddenly snaps loudly "Now tell me what you mean!"  
"Well…I wanted to know how you've been recently…" Hancock explains, her voice shaky and uneven.  
"I'm alright…why should I be otherwise?" the man questions in a harsh tone.  
"No reason…"  
"Yeah…" the man replies with a laugh, his moodswing so sudden I almost get whiplash. Then everything suddenly falls quiet.

"What's that?"

The question fills me with dread and I shuffle a little in the closet, wondering what Hancock's father is talking about.  
"What do you mean what's that?" Hancock asks in a nervous tone.  
"That bag!" the voice shouts "That's not your bag…is someone here? Have you had someone come round here without my knowledge?" I'm about to swear before I clamp my right hand firmly over my mouth, ensuring my silence. I didn't want Hancock to get into any more trouble because of me.

"No, of course not! I didn't!" Hancock reaffirms as boldly as she can.  
"You have haven't you? What have I told you about bringing your stupid friends home to MY house?" the male voice snarls angrily.  
"…Dad…this house is Nyon's, remember? After you and Mum got…"

That was when I heard it. It was loud and fierce and it made my blood boil. It came suddenly into my ears and all other sounds faded into obscurity.

SLAP

"DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO ME LIKE THAT AGAIN YOU USELESS FUCKING BITCH"

It takes me a while to work out what had happened.

Then, like a bullet train, it hits me.

Hancock's father had just slapped her.

He had just hurt her.

HE HAD JUST SLAPPED HIS OWN DAUGHTER!

"Father, stop it!" another voice yells, this one no doubt coming from Marigold "there's no need for that"  
Another slap sounded.

"MARI!" Sandersonia shrieks from behind her.

"THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO! DO NOT TALK BACK TO ME LIKE THAT! I AM YOUR FATHER! NOW WHERE IS THIS INTRUDER OF YOURS?" Hancock's father yells.

"I don't know what you're…" Hancock replies shakily, but the man cuts her off with a loud shout.

"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME!"  
A third slap echoes out and I clench my fist. This wasn't right. I shouldn't be hiding, just waiting for Hancock's father to finish hurting them. I didn't care for my own safety anymore. Heck, I had freaking dealt with leopard men and giant armoured suits! One abusive bastard wasn't going to be so hard to take down. I shuffled in my place and then, suddenly, everyone outside became silent.

"They're in there, aren't they?" the voice asks. I can tell he's pointing towards the closet and despite the chill that runs down my spine, I suddenly find myself smiling. This is it. The moment he opens that door, I'm going to sock him one right in the jaw. The bastard deserves it for all the shit he's doing. What kind of monster would hurt their own daughter?

"No dad, they're not…" Hancock begins but once more, a loud slap echoes around the room and I find myself getting more and angrier. The second that man is outside and I can reach him in one foul swoop; I'm going to make him wish he was never born. No-one is going to hurt my friend!...wait…did I just call Hancock…

Oh for Oda sakes, did it really matter at this point?

Friend or not, Hancock was a human being (as far as I knew) and no matter how much I disliked her, I wasn't going to deny her help right now.

I didn't become a hero so I could choose who to save and right now, I was going to save her…

"Let's see then!" Hancock's father yells and with heavy steps, he strolls over towards the closet. I tighten my fist and then get ready to knock him out the second he opens the door. I watch the handle jiggle for a minute as Hancock's father places his hand on it…

Then…

Suddenly, there is a loud bang from downstairs. It sounds like the front door once again. The sound makes me freeze in place and I suddenly become rigid and immovable. Before Hancock's father opens the closet door, he takes a step back. Footsteps stamp up the stairs.

"YOU!" a gravelly voice suddenly shouts from where I can guess is the doorway.  
"Nyon, I…" Hancock's father starts to say, when suddenly, there's a loud crack, as if someone just got hit by a cane. Hancock's father cries out in pain and I smile with satisfaction.  
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" the voice belonging to Nyon shouts  
"Listen here you Hag, I…" the male voice starts but once more, there is a loud crack as he is once more hit with her walking stick.  
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"  
"GET AWAY FROM MY GRAND-DAUGHTERS!"  
"AND GO CRAWL BACK TO THAT HOLE YOU CAME FROM YOU MISERABLE BASTARD, BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE!"

Obviously, the man didn't need to be told twice.

From what I can hear, he immediately stands up and scrambles out of the room. From there, I could hear him running down the stairs. As he leaves, I fall back in my place, shaking slightly. I felt sick. I felt horrible. I…I should have helped…instead I just sat safely in here and let Hancock take a beating.

I couldn't do anything…

Just like with Sabo…

No. That's not true.

I COULD have done something for Hancock but I didn't.

I had just made a huge mistake.

I had failed to help someone because of confusion and cowardice and right now, it was weighing heavily on my conscience.

The instant I hear Hancock's father leaving, I instantly spring out of my hiding place, surprising Nyon. I ignore her, however, and race over to Hancock, who was sitting on the bed. Her cheeks were wet and one of them was red raw. She was almost crying but she held it in as I quickly shot over to her side. I feel so guilty as I sit beside Hancock and gently grab both of her shoulders to look her in the eye.

"Hancock! Are you okay?" I ask my face "I'm sorry! I…I…I was just…"  
"It's okay Luffy" Hancock replies, before I have a chance to explain myself or before I can beg for her forgiveness "I'm…I'm just glad that you're okay…" My eyes widen at this and I find my hands suddenly shaking. She…she only cared about me? That oddly sweet sentiment actually made me smile.

"_People change…"_

"…You…you're Monkey D. Luffy, am I correct?" Nyon suddenly asks, distracting me from my thoughts.  
"…Er…yeah, that's me…" I admit, turning to face her.  
"Oh!" Nyon says, a small smile dawning on her face "well I must say Luffy it is a pleasure to finally meet you" my eyes widen in surprise at the statement.

"…I-it…It is?" I ask. Nyon laughs a little at the question.  
"Yes, Hancock's told me a lot about you. She also told me you'd be here tonight working on that project of yours"  
"S-s-she has?" I ask in surprise. Nyon nods and offers me her hand. Of course, I politely take it and shake her hand gently "well…it's nice to meet you too ma'am…although, I wish we hadn't really in this situation" suddenly all of these introductions seem annoyingly wrong. Nyon nods in understanding and then looks over my shoulder at her granddaughter.

"…Luffy…I'd hate to seem rude, but I think it'd be best if you go home now" Nyon states, her worrying gaze resting on Hancock, who's already being comforted by Marigold "This is…a rather personal family matter you see…"  
"O-of course…" I reply nervously "Say no more. I understand completely…" After all, it did make sense. Hancock probably didn't feel like working after that…and I couldn't do this project without her. I scoop up my bag and then walk towards the door "I'll…I'll just see myself out…"  
"But Luffy…" Hancock suddenly calls, looking distraught at my departure.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow" I told her, turning around and faking my best smile to reassure her "I wouldn't want you working after…after that…" For a moment, my voice crackles but I cough loudly and it goes back to normal "well…I…I guess I'll see you all later then"

"Goodbye" Sandersonia and Marigold call, seeming surprisingly friendly, despite my cowardice...

Their amiable nature made me feel sick.

I hated myself.

Without another word, I head down the stairs, giving a wave to both Nyon and the girls before opening the front door and stepping outside.

I'm met with a cold street as the wind sweeps up on me, embracing me in my shame, as if I need comforting from my disgrace. The dark clouds made rain seem inevitable but, despite the threat, the rain never came, as if it was giving me the courtesy of walking home without any more shame being place on my head.

Despite this kind act from the weather, however, I was still depressed. I had failed Hancock…I had been too slow. What if something had happened? What if I'd have just sat there? What if…

I suddenly gave up on my questions and began to walk.

I hate this feeling.

It's like I'm running away from my troubles.

Like I'm retreating in shame…but...Nyon was right.

As much as I wanted to help and make up for my stupid cowardice and oblivious nature, it was best that I left Hancock alone to recover. Comforting her would have been much difficult with me there, seeing as she was putting on a brave face, keeping all the sadness locked up in my presence.

I clench my fist angrily and look up at the sky.

I feel like screaming.

Maybe I should do that.

Maybe I should just let out my frustrations and my rage and all of the complex feelings in my head.

How I hate that…that MONSTER for attacking his own daughter for no good reason.

How I hate myself for breaking my promise to Sabo and listening to Hancock, abandoning her in her hour of need.

But most of all, I want to shout out about how I was feeling strange. How some mystery feeling had crept up on me and now, for some reason, I was feeling strange when I was around Hancock.

But, even though I wanted to, I just couldn't.

No rage would break free and howl into the night.

No sorrow would leave my lips in a wail.

Not even any hatred could cause me to roar at the heavens.

Because…I just feel empty.

I feel completely worthless.

Great job Superhero…

* * *

_**Usopp P.O.V **_

I couldn't get over just how large Kaya's house is.

It's gigantic.

After all, she lives in the richest neighbourhood in town. I could almost imagine the very streets being paved with gold…and here I am, standing around in my un-tucked white school shirt with my undone tie hanging loosely from my neck.

I feel so out of place. No wonder I'm getting such glares as I walk down the street. Each house on the row shines in the fading light, glistening like silver in the sunset. I give a small whistle of appreciation.

I admit, Kaya was living the dream. Her house stood out the most, at least to me it did. Where as all of the other houses along the side of the street look strangely perfect to an almost surreal extent, Kaya's house looks like it has people living in it. True, it is essentially just her and her two caretakers living together under one roof but it still looks a lot more like a home than all of the other ornaments decorating the sides of the road.

Whilst it is a big house, it isn't exactly a palace or a mansion either.

It's big; don't get me wrong, but Vivi's house still makes this place look like a one bedroom apartment. Then again, Vivi is the daughter of an important politician and whilst Kaya's parents were millionaires, they had passed away when she was little and Kaya had never been the kind of person to squander money.

From what I know, I think it was her choice to come to public school instead of learning at home. She wanted the proper experience and she wanted to be able to make friends instead of being stuck in the house all day, learning from some stuffy old teacher. She kept how rich she was a secret too, so we only found out how loaded she was after a year of being friends with her.

Did that change anything between us?

Well, no, not really.

After all, we all got along with Vivi, so why should we change the way we saw Kaya?

Rich or poor, Kaya is a sweet and kind person. She's our friend and she always will be...

I can't deny that I'm getting slightly nervous as I start to approach the door.

On instinct, I look up at the building, admiring the architecture. The house has two levels and an attic. At least that's what I can tell from the outside. There's even a window looking out of the attic. I've got to admit, I'm impressed.

On either side of the front door, the living room and the dining room seems to bulge out from the rest of the house, as if the architects had extended those rooms at the last minute on their plans in hastily drawn scribbles, hoping to get everything to fit.

Then again, I didn't know anything about architecture so maybe that is how most buildings are. Finally, getting over my hesitation, I knock on the door and then wait patiently, tapping my foot on the floor.

After a brief pause, the door is opened by a very tall man dressed in a butler suit. His tie is slightly loose around his neck, similar to mine, and his collar is popped upwards, as if it were defying gravity.

On the sides of his black blazer jacket, there are some odd golden decorations that to the untrained eye…well, kind of look like poop…the oddest part about this man; however, are his shoes, which are striped grey and black, causing my eyes to go into a seizure at the mere sight of them. The green haired butler steps forward a little as he opens the door, takes one look down at me and then scowls.

"I'm sorry sir but we're not interested in buying anything today…" the butler says, closing the door on me.  
"I'm not a salesman!" I quickly yell, stopping him from closing the door "I'm from Kaya's class, I'm Usopp"  
"Usopp? Usopp, Usopp, Usopp?" the man lulls over my name on his tongue, his hand stroking his chin in thought "No, can't say Miss Kaya has ever mentioned you before" That comment leaves me disheartened though as the butler goes once more to close the door, I stick my foot in the way.

"We have a science homework to do together! Could you go get her please?" I ask kindly. The butler, however, isn't as keen to do that as I hoped he would be.  
"Miss Kaya is far too busy to deal with the likes of street punks like you, now be gone with you…" the butler replys, putting more force on the door in an attempt to crush my foot. Suddenly, however, a voice calls from nearby.

"Klahadore! What's wrong? Is there someone at the door?" the moment the familiar voice hits my ears, I smile and start shouting.

"Merry! Merry, it's me Usopp!"

"Usopp?" Merry's voice asks, before he rounds the corner and gives a gasp of surprise "Well I'll be a Monkey's uncle, Usopp! What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining or anything but this visit is most irregular!"  
"I and Kaya are partners in this science project and she invited me round tonight so we could do some of it" I explain, pushing against the door Klahadore had slammed on my now aching foot.

"She did?" Merry questions and then, for a moment, he's silent before he lets out a gasp of realisation "oh yes! She did mention something about that whilst we were having breakfast! Klahadore, what are you waiting for? Let the poor man come inside! It looks like it's going to rain any second" Klahadore doesn't look too pleased at the prospect but never the less, stood aside to let me in.

"Thanks Klahadore…" I say with a smile, despite the way Klahadore glares back at me "so…where is the lady of the house?"  
"She's up the stairs" Merry replies pointing to a grand winding staircase that leads to the top floor "go up to the second floor and up again to her bedroom. Will you be staying for dinner Master Usopp?"

"Well, I'd hate to be a bother…" I respond sheepishly, however, Merry shakes his head.

"Nonsense, we never get guests. It'll be a true chance for me to practice my culinary skills!" Merry announces happily "now, what should I make? A proper roast dinner? Maybe some pasta? Or perhaps I could just make us some chilli con carne! ~Oh~! The possibilities are just ENDLESS!" As Merry continues to speculate on what to cook, I wisely sneak away, disappearing upstairs.

"Usopp!" Kaya yells happily as she opens the door to her room. I wave in reply, ignoring how my cheeks heat up at the mere sight of the blonde haired beauty.

"Hey Kaya, do you want to get started?"

"Yeah, come in" she says with a warm smile, stepping aside to let me enter. As I enter the room, however, I am shocked by the first thing that catches my eye. Kaya's room is in the attic and that means she has a little less space for things…but miraculously, Kaya had made magnificent use of the space.

A small TV is situated at the far end of the room with two beanbags lying in front of it. Right next to where I had entered the room, there was a small desk which currently held Kaya's laptop. The shelves on the desk contained a mixed assortment of things, from CD's to DVDs to books. To my far right, I could see Kaya's bed set into the wall. To my surprise, I notice a small book on her bed and, without warning, I shoot towards it, grabbing it in both hands.

"You read Manga?" I ask in surprise, holding the Skip Beat volume firmly in both hands. Kaya blushes slightly at my question and starts fiddling with her fingers nervously.

"Well…yeah, I dabble a little…" she admits shyly. I can't hide the smile on my face as I look up at her.

Why was it that every new thing I learned about Kaya made me fall in love with her even more?

…wait…you weren't supposed to know that…it's a secret…

Pretend you didn't read that!

…

Oh, who am I kidding?

I've been in love with Kaya since the first time I met her. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually not so sappy that I believe in love at first sight but with Kaya, I'll make an exception. The moment she appeared into our lives on that fateful day of English, I felt something. I didn't know what it was of course but whatever it was, I liked it. It took a while before I realised exactly what the feeling was. It didn't take long before I finally realised what exactly I was feeling for Kaya and after that, things were simple. All I had to do was swallow some courage and ask her out on a date…

But…

But…

Well, I'm the world's biggest coward.

At times, I wish I was more like Luffy, bounding into situations regardless of the consequences or fearless like Zoro and Sanji…but I wasn't.

I'm not brave or strong or fast and that meant that I can never fully muster up the courage to tell Kaya how I feel…

So, that's the situation I've walked into here.

Working on some science homework with the girl I love who's completely oblivious to my feelings.

My life officially sucks eggs…

"Usopp…Usopp?"  
"Yeah?" I suddenly reply, snapping out of my daydream.

"I said, don't you think we should get started on the homework" Kaya says, picking up her laptop off the desk. As she bends down to reach, I look away from her, blushing slightly.  
"Oh yeah, sure Kaya" I manage to mutter out.  
"Well then, you're the tech whizz here" Kaya jokes, gently dropping the laptop on my knee as she sits beside me "do your stuff" as her fingers brush on my legs for a second, a jolt of electricity rushes through my body and I jump slightly. Luckily, Kaya doesn't notice. Quickly getting over my sudden shock, I steady the laptop before turning it on. The sooner we get working, the sooner I can distract myself.

"Right then, let's get to work" I say with a smile as the laptop boots up. Slowly, the quiet but steady humming of the computer grows as the device begins to power up. As usual, the awakening laptop greets Kaya and I with a loud rhythmical tune.

Ignoring this, I keep watching the screen, trying to ignore how close Kaya is sitting next to me. I can already feel myself getting more and more crimson as her arm gently brushes against mine.

The sight of what's on Kaya's desktop, however, is actually so surprising that I actually find myself distracted when it fully boots up. Instead of having the usual background of fields and blue skies, instead, there's just a picture out of the newspaper.

On the picture, there's a man in a red and black costume with a domino mask and a straw-hat perching on top of a lamp post. The picture, however, has been edited slightly and has been zoomed in, in order to get a closer view of the figure. There's no doubt who it is in the picture.

"…Why do you have Scarlet as the desktop background for your laptop?" I ask, turning to face Kaya nervously. Kaya laughs a little at the question and then smiles softly at the screen.

"Well…I guess you could say I'm a big fan" she explains with a giggle "I mean, you always hear about superheroes in comics or in movies right? Going around and saving the world but…to think we've actually got one here, in our city…well, it gives me goosebumps…I feel as if we've got a celebrity right on our doorstep" she explains. Despite her lips moving however, all I truly hear is a little nagging voice in the back of my head.

_She's got a crush on a superhero._

_She's in love with the Scarlet Wind._

_What are you compared to him?_

_What chance do you have of comparing with a man like him?_

"Usopp…are you okay?" Kaya's voice calls and once again, I quickly jolt out of my thoughts.  
"Yeah, I'm fine" I say with a soft smile.  
"Are you sure? You keep zoning out on me" Kaya inquires with a pout. As she does so, I feel my heart clench a little and then, I smile at her.  
"I'm alright Kaya…now let's start this homework shall we?" I ask with a grin.

"Sure" Kaya chirps in reply. I swear her happiness almost makes me melt onto the floor but luckily, I shake off the nervous tingling sensation in my body and quickly start loading up the Internet to start working. Unfortunately, as I went on to search for types of renewable fuel, that quiet mocking voice of doubt continued calling in my mind.

_You're no superhero…_

I sigh loudly, trying to distract myself and focus on the article on the screen.

"_Discovered by scientist's over a decade ago, the mysterious substance known as 'Pop-Green' has proved to be a unique and powerful source of energy. Though it is in the experimental stage, scientists believe that if we can fully unlock the potential of the Pop-Green chemical, we will have truly discovered a reliable form of Eco-friendly power. However, despite this fact, experts still believe that 'Pop-Green' is quite rare, meaning that all of these theories may merely be just speculation and rumour"_

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

The walk home from Hancock's house is…quiet to say the least. Despite how much I tried, I couldn't shake the images from mind. I could picture it all now, the shouting from Hancock's father, the echoing thunder clap and finally, worst of all, Hancock on the verge of tears with a large red mark across her cheek. I growl, kicking at the pavement in rage. How could someone do that? ESPECIALLY TO THEIR OWN DAUGHTER? I spit onto the floor as a sign of disgust, more anger rising within me. However, the anger quickly subsides giving way for another emotion.

Sorrow and pity take centre stage.

Who was I to judge this situation? Hancock's father, from what I could guess, was influenced by alcohol. He had a short temper but before his rage burst through, he was still an ordinary human being. Maybe he'd had a bad life before hand. Maybe he'd been like Hancock, beat up by his parents and from them, he started to abuse his own children. That was how most of these things started right. Besides, I had already judged Hancock's actions. I had seen everything she'd done, not just to Nami but to everyone, as the actions of a bully and a heartless witch…

Now, it looks like they're the actions of a scared little girl, crying out for love and attention.

Love and attention that I'd denied her in favour of resentment.

Hadn't I already learned from what happened to Sabo that revenge and holding grudges didn't solve anything?

I'm so caught up in my dream world of questions that I almost walk straight past my house, but quickly stop myself and head towards the door. I didn't want to be Luffy anymore right now. I felt ashamed in a way. I had sat in the closet like a coward as he…THAT MONSTER did that to Hancock.

I…I wasn't fond of Hancock but no-one deserves to be treated like that. Scarlet would have helped Hancock and saved her from that fate…but Luffy was a coward…wait a minute, wasn't?

I stop in front of the door, my eyes wide with surprise.

What was with the past tense about me disliking Hancock? I mean...she made me laugh and I didn't exactly hate my time with her…but that doesn't mean she's made up for everything…does it?

Or…was I just taking pity on her? That wasn't right…but, maybe…

I groan angrily, clutching at my head.

I need some time to think about things. This was all way too much to handle.

I carefully unlock the door and then step inside, locking the door after me. I'm so out of it that I walk straight through the room, traipsing mud all over Makino's carpet. I didn't care however. I fling my bag in the front room and slowly head up the stairs.

It takes me until I get four steps up them, before I realise that something is wrong. For one, there's no sign of Makino…or Ace for that matter. Second, I could hear some quiet and depressing music floating into the landing from a nearby room. I sigh loudly hearing the noise.

It wasn't a noise that was well received in this house and only one of us had the musical taste to put on 'Crawling' by Linkin Park in his room. Without stopping, I continue my path up the stairs, walk straight past my room and fling Ace's door open. Sure enough, the freckled menace is lying on his bed, gazing at a photograph in his hand.

"Let me guess…" I mutter "she broke up with you again…what is this, like the sixty fifth time you've done this during the time you've been together?" Ace looks up from his picture. His eyes are completely dry and there's no redness to his cheeks. He's not been crying, no matter how broken he's trying to pretend he is.

"Luffy" he growls "sometimes, couples have to take little separation breaks…you know, to test their relationship"  
"Yeah…that happens after about a year or so of dating NOT EVERY FREAKING WEEK!" I complain "honestly, you and Nojiko breaking up and getting back together is becoming an unwanted cycle in this family"  
"True…" Ace murmurs in reply, before smiling "but the make-up sex is incredible…"  
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THAT!" I yell loudly, covering my ears with my hands. Ace starts laughing at me as I do this.

"Oh yeah, that's right my little cherry! You still haven't popped, have you?" I chose not to reply to that comment and I turn away from Ace "…so, how was your time at Hancock's?" I clench my fist at the question and bite my lip.

"I'm going out" I suddenly announce, throwing my school bag into my room. Of course, Ace stares at me in confusion.

"Going out? You just got in"  
"Yeah, well I'm going out again" I retort angrily.

"Makino won't be happy, what should I tell her?"  
"I'm at Nami's" I reply bitterly "Or I'm still at Hancock's, I don't know"

"…So which is it then?" Ace asks.

"YOU KNOW WHAT!" I suddenly snap, turning to Ace "Tell her the truth! Tell her I'm going out for some fresh air, to clear my head and I don't know when I'll be back, okay?"  
"…Do you want to talk about it?"  
"N-not really no…"  
"Are you sure?  
"Yeah"

"Well, I'll be here if you ever want to" Ace's support makes me smile and even though I want to keep the shame I felt to myself, I still turn to him and nod.

"…Thanks Ace…"

"No problem" Ace says with a smile "That's what brothers are here for. Be careful out there!"

"What are you my mother?" I ask with a laugh.

"No, but Makino's not here, so I'll have to take that job"  
"Well Ace, you make a good mum"  
"Why thank you…I think…was that a compliment?"  
"Of course" I reply through a mocking grin, before closing his door and shut and then heading downstairs. When I get down, I go out the back and close the door behind me.

I'm not just going to walk around like some depressed cat all night, licking my wounds just so I can feel better.

I'm just a ball of rage and sadness right now.

Life moves on and I need to hit something.

Without a second thought, I stretch my arm up the back of the house, pulling me off the floor and towards the window to my room. Then, when I'm there, I casually swing open the window to allow me exit, tightly closing it again afterwards.

Luckily, Ace didn't seem to notice my secret entrance and so, without wasting any time, I open up my wardrobe and, from a secret compartment I had managed to make underneath my wardrobe's floor (I had kicked it a lot to break it so it's not really as complex to do as you think), I take out my Scarlet uniform.

In a matter of minutes, I remerge from the room, dressed in my good old red and black outfit. The final touch of a straw-hat on my head finally completes the picture and, with that, I shoot off a stretchy arm into the night and swing away, smiling happily as I did so.

I don't know why but I always like swinging through the city. The sheer adrenaline flowing through my body cancels out all of those negative thoughts that clouded my mind before hand and now, for the first time today, I can finally let my frustrations out on something…

All I need now is a robbery to foil and my day would just be complete…

* * *

_**? P.O.V**_

"YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!" the idiot guard shouts from the corner he is trapped to by long winding metallic wiring "YOU'LL…" before he could finish his rant, a cable suddenly flicks out of the wall behind him, slapping him in the face. I give an evil smile beneath grey ski mask but still ignore the cries of the man.

"You talk too much" I mutter "don't you know it's not nice to distract someone when he's tampering with your alarm" surprisingly, the guard laughed at my statement.

"Tampering with the warehouse alarm? This isn't some TV show where you clip a red wire and everything falls into place idiot! The silent alarm is going off in two minutes and there's nothing you can do to stop it"

"Stop it?" I suddenly ask, clipping a wire from the network. In reply to this, the warehouse came alive immediately and a loud metallic wail sounded out into the night "now why would I want to do that?"

"Y-you turned on the actual alarm?" the guard questions in confusion "why would you do that?" I giggle at the questions and then crouch down beside the guard, clutching his chin between my two hands.

"It's all part of the big picture my friend" I respond, licking my lips in satisfaction "you see, if you want to catch a mouse, you get some cheese and if you want to catch a dog, you need a bone…so what do you need if you want to catch a super hero?"  
"THE ALARM?" the guard realises with wide eyes.

"No…" I chuckle and then, with a grin, I quickly flick both of my wrists to the right, twisting the guard's head painfully. A loud beautiful crack is heard and the man slumps down to one side, his head resting on his shoulder, whilst his body is resting on the wall behind him. I give a joyful smile and stand up, looking down at the corpse with a feeling of ecstasy flowing through my veins. Did he have a girlfriend? A wife? A kid? Family? Oh, I hoped so. It wasn't fun killing people who no-one missed.

"What you need…" I continue, answering the dead man's last question "is patience. Patience, noise and lots of dead bodies" I laugh manically before I slump down onto the chair nearby. I pull out a small sharp throwing star from my pocket and run my finger slowly along the edge. Soon, I'd get a chance to test this out.

Hurry up Scarlet, I'm waiting…

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 3: Polarity Act 3**_

_**Until then, I'm Shadowonthewall6 and no matter what you think after reading this chapter, I'm still a diehard LuNa fanatic :3**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	11. Chapter 3: Polarity Act 3

_**I told you Scarlet Wind fans you'd be in for a treat (if any of you read both A-Z AND this which I'm not sure everyone does so I'm not sure why I'm starting my Author's annotation) and I hope this latest chapter won't disappoint.**_

_**Some added good news, however, is that as well as this chapter of Scarlet Wind, I've got the next Act in the works as we speak and I should be ready to upload that sometime this week :) I love Summer~ It's the perfect time to write more stories :D**_

_**Also, many of you may notice in this story that Monarch is…well, you'll find out if you haven't figured it out already but trust me, there is a reason for that.**_

_**On a final note before you begin reading, I'd like to thank all of you readers and reviewers out there because now Scarlet Wind has reached one hundred reviews :)**_

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Polarity Act 3**_

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

With one last punch to the face, the final thug hits the ground, dropping his baseball bat with a clang as he lands. Also on the floor are the three other members of this little purse snatching incident. A woman aged in her early 20's and two guys aged in their mid 30's now litter the floor, next to the leader of the group, a man in his late 20's with blonde hair and sunglasses. Sitting on the floor nearby, staring at the scene in shock, is an old woman dressed in a pink coat, her walking stick lying beside her almost forgotten.

"Now let that be a lesson to you young man!" I shout at the unconscious body with pride, reaching down to snatch the old woman's purse out of his grip "make sure to respect your elders in future! You never know when a spandex wearing ass kicking machine will jump down and ruin your day" with that said, I quickly turn around to the old woman on the floor and offer a hand to help her up. Remembering Makino's teachings, I crouch down to her level and speak as politely as possible.

"You okay ma'am?" at first the old woman seems a little shocked, then a wrinkled smile appears on her face and she nods her head.

"Well, my hip hurts a little but it's nothing I can't walk off. Thank you for the help sonny" she says with a smile as I carefully help her up off the floor. Once she's steadily standing, I pass her the purse the muggers had tried to take before and hand her the walking stick she'd dropped.

"You don't have to thank me" I insist, checking to see if she was injured in any other way. Luckily, it doesn't appear that she's hurt "As long as you're okay, it doesn't matter…though you're going to have to be more careful going out at night like this" Unfortunately, now that I've gained the old woman's interest, she doesn't seem to be too interested in letting me dash off any time soon.

"Oh, if only more young'uns were like you! What's your name dearie?"

"…er…Scarlet…" I reply quite awkwardly "but now, if you excuse me, I've got other places to be" Without waiting for a reply, I quickly shot my rubber arm up onto a building, just as the police cars screeched into the street.

"Goodbye Scarlet, I won't forget this!" the old woman yells as I swing away, waving her hand at me with a smile. I give a wave back with my free hand, leaping along a new path as the police officers finally get out of their cars. I'm sure I can hear a few stray bullets being fired after me as I sweep over the rooftop. Guess some of the blues still see me as just some lawbreaking vigilante...which I am, but at least I've not done any serious crimes…

Okay, well at least I haven't murdered anyone...

Besides, I was already prepared for something like this tonight. Seeing as Bellemere's on a date with her new boyfriend and Nami and Nojiko are having dinner with them so they can all get to know each other, she won't be around to keep her men in line…and I know that a lot of the cops at the station aren't exactly my number one fans.

Some grudges don't fade so easily…

Luckily though, I'm now home free and there's no way the police could possibly hope to follow me now. For a moment, I pause on one of the rooftops I've been sprinting across and glance down at my watch. Even in the dark light of the sky, I can still make out that the little hand appears to be pointing left, whilst the big hand appears to be pointing up…

Now if I could only remember what time that actually was, my day would just be perfect…

With a sigh, I decide that I better head home in order to avoid getting into any more trouble with Makino…or at least I would have, if a sudden loud alarm didn't start crying out into the night. Glancing around, I quickly realise that the alarm is actually coming from a nearby warehouse. It's probably that white haired guy and his thugs again, trying to cause trouble…though that does make me wonder how they got out of jail so quickly.

With a small shrug, I spring from the rooftop, launching two arms forwards in order to grab hold of the roof of the warehouse. My arms drag me forwards, allowing me to fly through an open window into the warehouse. I land on the cold hard floor of the warehouse, rolling as I hit the ground in order to keep moving. Strangely enough though, as I enter the building, I can't make out a single sound. The lights are on but it seems that nobody's home…

Usually, a theft is never this quiet. Where's the shuffling of boxes? The loud complaining? No frantic footsteps? It was…weird…

I didn't like this…something's going on here…

"Hello?" I call out into the warehouse, hoping to at least get a response from anyone inside.

Heck, I'd settle for someone shooting at me just to tell me that someone is here…

That's when the lights went out.

Without warning, I'm plunged into complete darkness, standing motionless and quiet in the middle of a warehouse.

…I guess that was sort of a hello…

Now that I'm aware that someone is actually in the warehouse, I quickly put up my guard, listening intently for any sounds or signs of motion. Unfortunately, the groups of shelves remain completely motionless and not a sound emerges from the silent space behind the shelves. Slowly, I step forwards cautiously, feeling my way along the shelves and using the small amount of moonlight shining through the windows in order to see ahead of me.

Unfortunately, I can't make anything out amongst the darkness. Slowly, I step forwards, each footstep crunching on the ground in the still silent, calling out like an explosion. Sneaking is always hard, especially when you really need to stay quiet.

Then there's a hiss.

I turn around immediately, though I fail to spot anything in the dark. All I can make out is a whiff of smoke and dust slowly rising from the floor, as if something has just blown it upwards. That settles it. If I ever doubted it before, now I know for sure that someone's here and that someone apparently doesn't mind messing with my head…

Once more, I start to walk steadily in the direction of the smoke, my ears listening out for any sound whatsoever in the night. Somewhere out there in the dark, someone is watching me. I know that much…but this all seems so strange.

I mean, if this were some real robbery or a break in, why didn't the thugs swarm around me when the lights were out? And what's with the dust and smoke being kicked up in the some sort of wind? I'm inside and, last I checked, the wind wouldn't be strong or fierce enough tonight to swirl the dust around like it had done just a moment before. Things didn't add up…

Suddenly, the dark warehouse seemed that it was looking more and more like…

"SURPRISE!"  
A trap…

The yell alerts me to the attack, but I fail to turn around fast enough and, for my effort, my reward is a large metal object colliding with stomach and sending me flying backwards. The sharp tip of the large item cuts slightly into me and I wince in pain. Luckily, I manage to recover from the sneak attack quite quickly. As my body moves backwards, I push down with my feet and they hit the floor with a loud bang.

The force of the stomp allows me to use my new found motion to my advantage, as I flip in midair, the legs I had used to kick soon flying up over my head, before coming down on the floor. As my feet make contact, I grab at the floor with both hands, helping my feet slow me down and allowing me to focus on the thing that just hit me…

The thing that just hit me…and is no longer there…

I stare blankly at the empty space in my vision with confusion. A familiar amount of dust blew silently off the floor, as if pushed away by some great force. Now, I'm being to lose my patience.

"Alright, show yourself coward!" I shout, glancing around the warehouse, hoping to catch some sight of my attacker. However, all I receive in reply is a loud laughter that echoes and rebounds off the steel roof and the shelves.

"Fascinating" a voice suddenly purrs from the dark "very nice work indeed. That little back-flip of yours was quite incredible. I heard you were good…and it looks like you're not going to disappoint"

"Who are you?" I yell out once more into the darkness, snarling with rage as a small humming fills the room.

"Ah, what do names matter?" the voice replies with a high pitched giggle of glee "after all, I'm just a voice in the dark trying to get to know the Scarlet Wind a little better…"

"You know my name" I respond simply "but I don't know yours. That's kind of an unfair advantage, don't you think?"

"Of course it is" the echo taunts me "but then why should I care about fair?" without warning, a small whirring sound cuts through the air. On instinct, I dodge to the left, just missing a shuriken as it whirs past. A small cut appears on my left cheek and my right hand immediately clings to it to stop the bleeding. The disembodied voice laughs once more (this guy REALLY likes to laugh doesn't he?)

"Oh if only I'd aimed that a little better, I could have taken out an eye..." the voice continues to taunt me.

"Is this some sort of game to you?" I yell back, listening out more intently now for the reply and also looking through the dark trying to spot something that can turn the lights back on. Right now, I have no idea where the guy is but if I light up the room that might make things more equal. Slowly, I creep towards the nearest wall, trying to remain as quiet as possible and as out of sight as I can.

"Of course it is, I'm having so much fun" the voice in the dark shouts loudly with another laugh "why? You don't like playing this game?" I choose not to answer, still searching along the wall with my hand hoping to find a light switch. So far, no luck and even with me listening out intently, I can't make out where the guy is. His voice is echoing all around the room, so it's a lot harder to pin point his location "I'll take that as a no" the voice mournfully comments.

This time, I'm ready.

As a piece of metal flashes in the dark, I step backwards, out of the path of the shuriken that imbeds itself in the wall and fire a rubber fist into the darkness. A low humming cries out for a moment but then stops, once more leaving me as blind as a bat…

If only I had the hearing of one, I'd find this guy in no time.

My fist keeps sailing forwards…but not for long, as it soon comes snapping back to my arm.

Another miss.

"Well, how about we play another game then?" the voice suddenly asks, surprising me slightly with how eager yet calm the voice is. There's no panting with exhaustion or fear. No harsh breath alerting me to his present.

"What kind of game?" I mumble, finally deciding to face my tormentor myself. I leap up to the top of one of the shelves of supplies.

"How about 20 Questions?"  
"20 Questions?" I mutter in confusion.

"Question 1: Are you over 21?"  
"What?" I question in confusion, tilting my head at the shadows.

"You heard me. Are you over 21? Do you have a job? A girlfriend? Pets? Heck, I'd even settle for you telling me whether or not you had size 10 shoes…"

"Why are you asking?" I say calmly to the darkness, still listening out for the mysterious intruder.

"Well, I just want to find out exactly who I'm going to have to kill before I do so"

"Kill? You want to kill me? Why? Are you working for someone?" I question the darkness.  
"Don't worry your masked little head. I'm doing this all by myself…as for why…well, I have my reasons…" I feel my brow furrow. This guy is getting on my nerves.

"Feel like sharing with the class?"  
"Oh no, I've never been much of a public speaker" once again, the humming starts up again. Quickly, I turn around…but it's too late. Before I can dodge, someone's fist lashes out of the dark and hits me straight in the face. The force of the punch is so hard that it not only sends me to the ground, but it also knocks over the stacks of boxes I was standing on "but my words do leave an impact on people…"

"Look, you're not the first super powered freak show I've gone up against. I can take care of myself"  
"Indeed I'm not your first super villain…but I will be your last…" Once again, more shurikens rain from the sky. Throwing all caution to the wind, I start running, leaping over crashed boxes and weaving through gaps in crates, hoping to escape the steel weapons falling from above.

"But now to get to the main reason why I'm here: you say I'm not your first super powered adversary. My first question, however, would be who are you?"  
"You already know my name"

"Ah, but what's in a name?" the voice wondered aloud "You call yourself the Scarlet Wind…but that doesn't tell me anything about you. We all have names but names don't really mean anything, do they? For example, since you've been inquiring, I like to call myself the Metal Monarch but even from that, you know nothing about who I am or what I'm doing…but I want to know about you. Why do you dress up like some circus acrobat every night and go off playing hero? For what purpose do you pick fights with mobsters, thieves and super powered freaks? What makes you the Scarlet Wind?"

I find myself getting more and more confused as this Metal Monarch guy keeps speaking. He's clearly one crayon short of a full set.

"Why are you so interested in me?" I ask, once more listening into the night.

"Ah, now that is a question I just can't answer quite yet. All you need to know is that you interest me. You interest me GREATLY Scarlet. I mean, you're so brand new! The world's never seen a superhero like you before. They've been mostly in comics or maybe stories posted on websites by nerdy writers. You're real though and you're here…and I want to know what makes you tick…"

"So you don't want to know 'who' I am but instead, you want to know 'what' I am and why I'm that way?" I try to understand, tilting my head slightly.

"Who you are, what you are, why you're the way you are. It's all the same really…" and then, without warning, out of the darkness, a steel throwing star flashed forwards, aiming straight at my throat. Luckily, I'm ready for him this time and, in addition, I'm growing tired of this guy and his blabbing. Quickly, I fling forwards my two rubber arms which pass into the darkness. As they plunge into the black, the sound of humming once again rises up from the shadows.

"OH NO YOU DON'T" I yell, impatiently and rapidly punching the air, each time stretching out my arms faster and faster, following the noise of the humming. The humming grows louder as my attacks speed up but I try my best to keep up with my hidden adversary.

And that is when he made his first big mistake.

In order to dodge my rubber fists, my mysterious friend had to pass over the windows to the side of me, near the front of the warehouse. As he went downwards, I caught a good look at his silhouetted form and knew that then was the time to strike. Without any hesitation, I kicked out with my left leg, which stretched out straight towards my opponent. I didn't need the loud cracking sound to tell me I've made an impact.

A loud crashing echoes out from the corner of the room and a voice cries out as the mysterious Metal Monarch crashes face first into the floor. To add to my growing sense of pride at this victory, I presume that when Monarch fell he must have hit something hard and though I couldn't see what it was in the dark, the small thudding sounds which followed revealed that he must have bumped into one of the shelves and currently, the stock that is stored there is raining down on top of his head.

I give a wide grin, allowing myself to land with a soft tap on the warehouse floor, before I once more began my search for Monarch.

I doesn't take long, however, as I soon spot a pile of cardboard boxes in the night that have fallen on Monarch. Speaking of Monarch, now that he's lying in the moonlight, instead of hiding like a pansy up near the roof, I can finally make out his costume…and I'm a bit surprised with what I see really…

I'd expected to get a look at some professional hitman staring me down, scar over his face, weapons packed all over his body from all the throwing stars this guy had been tossing at me. Heck, I'd at least settle for some competent armour, like Waxwork had, or even another one of the beast men like Lucci.

Instead, I'm greeted by the sight of a guy who looks only half dressed for combat. A pair of faded blue jeans for pants, a black bikers jacket for a coat and remained partially zipped up and a mask that covered all of the man's face but his mouth, where a wide grin is currently perched. He looks more like some circus reject than a super villain.

"Then again" I reminded myself in my head "looks can indeed be deceiving"

Weirdly enough, Monarch didn't seem too irritated that I'd just brought him down to the floor and instead, was giggling like someone was tickling him.

"Oh, you've no idea how long I've been waiting for this confrontation" he says with a laugh, still making no effort to stand up, even going as far as to make himself more comfortable where he is sitting "you've got quite the punch"

"You've been waiting for me?" I ask, cautiously approaching and looking at my new foe in his pile of cardboard boxes "what are you, my new super villain stalker?"

"Call me whatever you like" the man shouts with a laugh, heaving himself off the floor "I've already told you, names don't matter to me Scarlet"

"Oh great!" I exclaim with a roll of my eyes "what do the other superheroes get? Adoring fan-girls and hot super villain babes in cat suits. What do I get? A thug in leather! Life is so unfair…"

"Well, now you've hurt my feelings!" Monarch moaned from where he sat.  
"Ah where are my manners?" I ask myself with a scratch of my chin "...oh that's right, I threw them out the window the second I spotted you robbing this place"

"Maybe we should throw you out there too then" the man in the skull helmet replies, standing to his feet "you two can have a nice reunion outside in the dirt"  
"Oh~" I sing with a grin "I've got to say usually you super villain types aren't as chatty and good with the banter. You're different though. I think I'm going to like kicking your ass"

"Well that makes two of us then!" Monarch announces with a chuckle, before springing out of the cardboard boxes with a smirk. As he emerges from the boxes, he flings a shuriken in my direction. I easily dodge the metal star and dash forwards, punching at Monarch's head…or where his head should be as the masked man steps to the left and catches my hand with his fist. I throw forwards my other fist but this is stopped as well by Monarch's second hand.

"Okay, maybe I'm giving you a bit too much credit" he taunts me a chuckle "I REALLY would have expected you to be a whole lot more subtle than this"  
"I don't exactly do subtle" I admit with a growl.  
"So I can see" Monarch says with a grin "but I'm afraid you've battled yourself into a corner right now" At this, my eyes widen.

"What do you mean?" I ask with a growl.

"Can't you tell?" Monarch laughs "right now I'm blocking both of your arms, meaning that you can't hope to block any of my attacks now"  
"Yeah, only there's a gaping hole in your strategy buddy" I reply with a grin "you may be blocking my arms from defending myself…but you're doing it with YOUR arms! How do you expect to attack me genius?"

"I have my ways" the masked man whispers. Immediately, I realise that something is wrong but I didn't know just how right I was. Suddenly, without warning, I feel a sharp object plunge straight into my left shoulder blade and I cry out loudly. The pain rings out from my back. Quickly realising that I needed to retreat, I kick at Monarch's leg and his grip weakens enough for me to slip away. Monarch staggers backwards because of my kick but never the less, looks quite pleased with himself.

Whilst he's distracted with his recovery, I grasp hold of the item lodged in my back and roughly tug the sharp object out of my body with a groan. The item hadn't cut as deep as I thought it would be but I can still feel a lot of pain from my shoulder. With a grunt, I bring the object that had inflicted such pain on to me forwards and I'm quite surprised to find myself looking at Monarch's throwing star. Quickly, I glance behind myself hoping to spot the person who attacked me. However, as I turn around, no-one's there and Monarch has started laughing again.

"Where's your friend?" I ask, turning to face my opponent with a glare. Monarch laughs louder in response to my question.

"Really? You REALLY think there's someone else in here?" he questions and I can almost see the smile behind his mask as he does so "I have given you WAY too much credit!" In a fit of sudden anger, I grip the ninja star tightly in my hand and flick it forwards towards Monarch. Of course, it's only meant to either distract him or injure his arm so I can take him down…only it turns out Monarch's more of a threat than I ever thought.

As the metal star soars straight at its target, Monarch holds up his palm and instantly, the shuriken stopped in its tracks, spinning in place. At this, my eyes widen.

"What the…how…how are you…"  
"You're not the only one in this city with super powers my friend" Monarch replies, before pushing his palm towards the shuriken. As he does so, the metal throwing star flies straight towards me. Luckily, I'm now aware of Monarch's power, so I'm able to dodge the star before it cuts into my chest…only for Monarch to bring his hand towards himself, tugging the shuriken backwards, almost as if it was on a string, so that it slashes straight over my right hand palm.

I growl at the sudden pain and grab my hand, nursing the wound with my other hand. Monarch isn't finished quite yet, however, and continues to dictate the movement of the shuriken, causing it dance from left to right, constantly trying to slash at me. Despite my injured hand, however, I still manage to dodge the attacks, sliding around as I dodge the shuriken.

"Oh this is so amusing" Monarch comments with a laugh, watching quite happily as I dodge the piece of metal he is somehow manipulating "the great hero, the Scarlet Wind, reduced to a dancing idiot"

"Hey, you're just jealous because my dancing moves are so good" I say with a grin.

"Oh no, you've worked out my secret" Monarch jokes with a surprising amount of menace in his voice "I suppose that means I can't let you live now. Not to be a bore Scarlet, this little game of ours has been fun, but all good things must come to an end…so I suppose it's time that I started getting serious" at this threat, I brace myself for another attack as Monarch's hands dip into his jean pocket.

However, we are interrupted by a fairly loud and familiar sound.

A police siren calls out into the night.

For a moment, both I and Monarch freeze, glancing upwards as the sound of sirens hit our ears. Monarch stiffens up at the sound but quickly relaxes and once more lets out a laugh.

"What do you know? Looks like we're out of time" he comments with a chuckle "I'm afraid our little fight is over now"

"What?" I ask in confusion, but Monarch just shrugs in reply.

"You know what they say. Two's a company, three's a crowd and fourteen is way too many" Monarch laughs, gesturing to the flashing blue and red lights out of the window "party's over now, so I best grab my coat and leave…"

"What on earth would let you think that I'm going to let you get out of here?" I bark, leaping forwards to strike Monarch. However, as I do so, Monarch flicks his wrist and with a loud humming sound, a white metal board comes soaring out of the shadows nearby. I spot the approaching hover board and step backwards just in time to avoid being whacked by the rear end of the device.

As I dodge the hit, however, Monarch has already jumped from where he was standing and is now riding the hover board. As the board lurches from the sudden weight, however, Monarch appears to remain perfectly stationary, as if his feet and the board have suddenly become glued to the board.

"We'll definitely be seeing each other around Scarlet" he yells over the humming engine, before the hover board began to gain momentum, heading towards the giant metal door. As Monarch charges straight towards the door, he pushes his hand forward. As he flexes his palm forwards, the metal warehouse door easily pops out of place and flops down on the floor with an almighty clang.

My eyes widen at Monarch's display of power, but I can't afford to dwell on that fact for long. With my instincts suddenly taking over, I start running through the now open door after Monarch. Just as the hover board begins to ascend, I stretch my right arm forwards and, luckily enough, I manage to get a firm grip on the smooth surface. I've got to hand it to Bon.

His outfits aren't only stylish but very practical. Unfortunately, the speed of Monarch's hover board increases dramatically as it begins to fly upwards and, considering I've got such a good grip on it, I get pulled up after it. My feet leave the ground before I can react and in a matter of moments, I'm suspended high above the warehouse below. Immediately changing my opinion on Bon's craftsmanship of my gloves, due to a sudden wave of vertigo, I manage to give a small whistle of appreciation at the view.

"Man, they weren't kidding when they said the sky's the limits…" I joke before looking upwards at Monarch, who is somehow managing to ride the board vertically straight up. He turns back and seems to glare at me for a second, before a twitch of a smile returns to his face again.

"Persistent, aren't you my little elastic friend?" he taunts "you know I would really like it if you'd let go of my prototype jet board"  
"And I would really like it if I got a private jet for Christmas, but you and I are both out of luck regarding that" I joke, grinning in response to his irritation. Monarch remains silent for one second before sighing loudly.

"What part of time out don't you get? I'll play with you some other day. As for right now though, I have places to go, things to do and I would appreciate it oh so much if you'd let go, so I can fly normally without being hampered by your dead weight" he explains, looking down at me with a glare.

"Oh no, you're not getting away. I've got a spotless record man. Every super villain I've fought so far I've beaten" I announce proudly "What on earth makes you think I'd let you go?"

"It's called gravity" Monarch replies, stomping his right foot backwards onto my hand. As it stomps down, my grip starts to slip and I let out a loud groan. Monarch continues talking regardless however "everyone on this planet is bound to obey the laws of nature. It's people like us who are exceptions to the rules…well, most of them, considering you can't fly"

"This isn't over" I shout, ignoring his ranting "I'm not letting you go"  
"Oh, but it is and you are" Monarch says with a laugh "Our inevitable clash will have to be postponed I'm afraid. After all, I've got a lot of plans in mind for you and it wouldn't be fun if you died on our first meeting…despite how easy it would be. Maybe next time, we can finish this Scarlet" with one final stamp, my grip on the hover board completely shatters. For a moment, the winds seem to carry me upwards still but I soon realise I'm slowing down, where as Monarch is speeding away upwards, out of reach. Monarch's dark eyes gaze into my own and his laughter echoes in my mind.

"Until then, try to stay alive. Say hello to the ground for me" Monarch's last taunt calls out from above. That is the last thing that properly clicks into my head at that moment, however. It's all happening so fast. One second, I'm reaching out for Monarch's jet board as it soars away. The next, I'm falling downwards, plummeting faster and faster.

The wind is lapping at my face as I race downwards. Quickly readjusting myself in mid air with a spin to the side, I'm able to look down…at the courtyard area to the warehouse below that I'm quickly racing towards. I look around quickly. No buildings near enough that I can stretch too. I can't stop or slow my fall that way. I gulp loudly as I rush faster downwards.

I'm only a few seconds from the ground now. The Scarlet Wind becoming nothing more than a red smear on the floor? I didn't like that idea at all. I needed some sort of way to shield myself from the impact, some kind of insulation…

Insulation?  
OF COURSE! I'M A RUBBER MAN, I'M NOTHING BUT INSULATION!

In a quick burst of genius, I take a deep breath, allowing the air pushing against my face to fill up my lungs. As I do so, my stomach starts to expand, until finally I resemble a large round ball…

Almost like a balloon…

It's the best I can do on short notice but I guess it will be enough to soften my landing.

Finally, I hit the floor. As I do so, my round belly bounces me back upwards…only for a sick feeling to rise from my chest. I attempt to hold in the feeling but am unsuccessful. I think I'm going to puke…but it's actually something more than that. As the feeling rises up my windpipe and exits my mouth, all of the air I've stored up in my lungs is forcefully ejected in a violent fashion. I deflate mid-bounce in my balloon state but luckily, the gust of air that shoots from my mouth slows my fall to a simple belly flop…onto a concrete floor.

Okay so my plan doesn't work perfectly, but it works a lot better than having me hitting the floor and going splat. I let out a groan as I collide with the ground (even if I do so a whole lot softer than I originally suspected).

"Monarch says hi…" I grunt into the floor. The floor remains silent in refusal to answer my call back to Monarch's request. Slowly, I push myself off the floor, only to flop on my back with an irritated moan. My muscles feel sore and my whole body is crying out in pain but apart from that, everything feels perfect...

Perfect except for the chance that I've just let Monarch get away that is…

Focus on the positives Luffy, the positives. You're still alive after all…and that's a start…

Unfortunately, Lady Luck seems to enjoy using me as her personal dart board, so my good luck doesn't last long…

At long last, the police cars I've been waiting for rush into the area, breaking down the barbed wire gates in the process. With a groan, I push myself off the floor and into a standing position. My head is still ringing like I've just fallen to the floor from a hundred feet in the air…which now I think about it is probably the case or at least a reasonable comparison. Never the less, I fight through my dazed state and look to the police officers piling out of their cars with a grin.

"Oh man, am I glad to see you guys! Look, there's not much time so we have to move quickly, the thief who was just breaking into this place…" my explanation is interrupted as the officers all point their pistols towards me. For a moment, I stand completely still, before blinking in confusion.

"Er…what are you guys doing?"  
"Don't move a muscle!" one of the police officers calls angrily "you're under arrest" Apparently, this announcement did not sit well with one member of the police present.  
"Captain Smoker instructed us to detain the vigilante until his arrival" a blue haired female police officer instructs the others, pushing her glasses up her nose with one finger as she glares at me. From the reaction the other officers give (lowering their weapons slightly) the woman appears to be the superior officer present.  
"But Lieutenant Tashigi, we have the Scarlet Wind in our sights" another of the officers protests "The Chief said…"

"That if anyone spots Scarlet they're to arrest him on sight" the woman known as Tashigi repeats, before glaring at the man who she interrupted "but we take our orders from Captain Smoker and he's told us to keep the mutant here until he arrives"  
"Mutant?" I ask, attracting the Lieutenant's attention "I take offense to that comment! I prefer to be called normality challenged!" apparently, Tashigi doesn't have much of a sense of humour, remaining stone faced despite my remark.

"Quiet criminal" she commands. I blink once more, my eyebrow rising slightly at my new nickname.

"Criminal? Seriously? We're doing this thing again? Look, I'm on your side!" I insist with open arms. Tashigi doesn't listen however and aims forward with her pistol, straight at my head.

"Move one inch and I'll shoot you right between your eyes" she threatens with a growl. I sigh at Tashigi and begin scratching my forehead.

"Look, I know you must be new to this whole thing (aiming a gun at me isn't really a smart idea, seeing as bullets don't really work on me) but like I said, I'm on your side! I'm not some criminal, I'm a superhero!"

"You're a vigilante" she corrects me "you're an insolent kid taking the law into your own hands!"

"Oh, don't give me the old 'you're breaking the law' speech, will ya?" I plead with a groan "been there, done that, bought the t-shirt"

"The reports were correct" Tashigi grumbles under her breath "he never does shut up"

"Look, I don't have time for this!" I interrupt with a sigh "the thief who was messing around here has just flown off on his hover board!" seeing the confused expression on her face, I growl in annoyance "I know it sounds weird but you're having a conversation with a rubber man, no is not the time to be logical! He's getting away! Maybe you should be focusing your efforts on the guy who's actually been committing crimes instead of focusing on me! I haven't done anything wrong!"

At that moment, a loud bang sounds out behind me and I turn around to see two more police officers come out of the warehouse.

"We searched the building like you asked Lieutenant" one of them shouts "we found a dead security guard inside. It looks like he somehow managed to trigger the alarm before he was killed"  
"Not done anything wrong, huh?" Tashigi asks, refocusing her attention on me.

"I AM NOT A MURDERER!" I yell in reply, a feeling of guilt appearing in my stomach at the announced death. If I'd been a little quicker…maybe… "it was the thief who killed him!"

"The thief who conveniently disappears the second we arrive!" Tashigi questions with a laugh "yeah, I don't buy it. You're coming down to the station with us" I growl loudly at Tashigi's uncooperative nature. How stubborn can one police Lieutenant be?

"Look, I DIDN'T KILL HIM!" I insist with a growl "I'M INNOCENT HERE!"

"Tell that to the police officers who are just getting out of the hospital after that little summer rampage you pulled" Tashigi counters. Once more, the guilt in my stomach starts to bubble at the mention of my past experiences as a superhero.

"Okay, well I'm at least innocent of THIS PARTICULAR CRIME!" I argue, sweat racing down my face and a sick feeling rising in my throat "I've made mistakes and I know you've all got an axe to grind with me" several of the police officers exchange glances of disgust at my words "BUT TRUST ME, I WOULD NEVER KILL ANYONE!"

"You expect ME to trust YOU?" Tashigi asks with an insulted snarl "I heard you were a wise-cracker but I thought your jokes would actually be funny"  
"I don't have time for this, Monarch's getting away!" I announce boldly, slinging my right arm upwards towards a nearby street lamp.

Tashigi simply responds by pulling the trigger of her pistol. Despite knowing the bullet won't hurt me, I still move out of the way of the shot, leaning to the right…and I'm rather glad I did. Instead of recognising the golden shine of a bullet soaring through the smoke and the ash at me, I see a thin black dart shoot out and stick into the ground nearby. My eyes widen at this discovery.

"This pistol is a dart gun" Tashigi explains simply "each dart is loaded with enough to tranquiliser to knock out a horse" I grimace at the sight of the dart, shuddering in my place. Great, more pointed edged weapons. Why was everyone so keen to exploit my weakness to sharp objects? Couldn't for once someone try to beat me with something less threatening, like suction cups or something like that?

"Okay, if you've got that, why are you not using it on me?" I ask, carefully watching the dart gun in her hands just in case she chooses to shoot at me again.

"My captain as ordered that if I spot you I'm to detain you until his arrival" Tashigi explains "he wants to meet with you personally"  
"Big fan I take it…"

"Oh, you wish" Tashigi retorts "as soon as he gets…"

"TASHIGI! STAND DOWN!" a voice suddenly yells from afar and the luitenant jumps at the shout, before grinning with joy.

"Well, speak of the devil, looks like your time is up" Tashigi announces happily, before taking a few steps backwards. At first, I'm a little confused about this but all soon becomes apparent as I look over to the destroyed barbed wire gate entrance to the compound. There, strolling towards me, is a tall man with pale gray hair.

Surprisingly, the police captain isn't wearing the traditional police uniform. Instead, he is wearing an open white jacket, revealing a well defined set of muscles on his chest. In his mouth, he has not just one but two cigars sticking out, blowing smoke in all directions.

His parents must have been physic to name him 'Smoker' considering how quickly he must have picked up the habit. The gray haired man strolls over towards me, gripping a jutte strapped to his back. It seems like he's getting ready to fight with me. At the thought, my left shoulder suddenly starts aching, reminding me of how Monarch's shuriken cut into my shoulder earlier. I had been able to move fine before, but now my shoulder has had enough of all of this pain. It seems like every time I get into these super villain fights, I always end up severely battered, beaten and bruised.

Before, I used to get my fair share of injuries but I've noticed that as the number of super villains I've thought has increased, so has the amount of pain I've been feeling. Hospitals should really introduce special super hero discounts. It would definitely make my job a lot easier. Then again, that was a thought for later. All that mattered right now was that as much as I wanted to, I couldn't fight anyone in this state…and if I did, I certainly didn't want to fight with the police.

Not only does this Smoker guy look sort of tough, even if he is just your average police captain and doesn't have the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes…at least as far as I know, but any more scuffles with the police would only worsen my reputation amongst their ranks. I have to get out of here, right now. If I stay here and fight, things can only get worse. As Smoker approaches, he brandishes his jutte forwards, pointing it straight at my head.

"I'm afraid it's over for you now Crimson Squall, I'm taking you in!" he announces boldly. I can't help but snigger at his butchered attempt at my name.

"Crimson Squall? Really? That name is so last summer" I taunt, remembering the names the papers used to call me before I decided to officially take up the mantle of a superhero "it's the Scarlet Wind now buddy. You better remember that, because then you'll know exactly what to scream in rage as I make my daring escape"

"Your bravado may help you against the other members of the force but you won't stand a chance against me" Smoker calmly comments as he picks up speed in his walk. He's now only a few meters from me. I sigh in irritation.

"Look old man, I don't want to…" before the word fight can be uttered from my mouth, Smoker makes his move. I really should have seen it coming but since my arm is still stretched outwards, holding onto a street lamp, I can't dodge effectively. Because of that, I take the full force of Smoker's jutte smacking me in the face. I stagger slightly to the left and, on instinct, let go of the lamp post.

My right arm returns back to its normal length, more quickly than I could ever expected. In fact, it moves so fast that it doesn't stop at my side. The rebounding force of my arm returning to its normal length coupled with Smoker's attack means that my right arm shoots straight into Smoker's face. I hadn't been expecting Smoker to attack me but I definitely never expected that my elastic arm would do that. Smoker appears to be surprised too as the blow is enough to knock him to the floor.

Of course, the police captain recovers quickly into a kneeling position. I step away from the man as he wipes his bloody lip on his jacket's sleeve. As I move, I grip the side of my head where Smoker attacked and wince. My vision blurs for a second but luckily, I recover my sight pretty quickly, finally noticing Smoker's position on the floor.

"Lucky shot…" he growled in a low tone.

"Exactly that!" I quickly exclaim, putting more distance between myself and Smoker, before turning to the other police officers, who seem even more enraged that I just attacked their captain "YOU JUST SAW THAT, ALL OF YOU! I DID NOT MEAN TO HIT HIM! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, IT WAS THE ELASTIC REBOUND OF MY ARM THAT DID THAT! I DID NOT WANT TO…none of you are listening to me, are you?" the steadfast faces on the officers confirm my worst fears. I'm guilty until proven innocent and with one little mistake, I've suddenly become their public enemy number one. I sigh loudly and stretch my arm backwards, towards the roof of the warehouse.

"Fine then, if you won't play fair, then we're playing a new game. It's called Catch me if you can" I yell to the crowd of police officers. Smoker, however, clearly isn't done with me quite yet and quickly leaps to his feet.

"You're not getting away" he shouts, charging to tackle me to the ground. Luckily, however, I've been waiting for this. As Smoker dashes at me, I release my grip on the warehouse's roof and instead, jump upwards. With my rubber legs, I get a little extra height to my jump, so much so that I'm able to practically jump over Smoker. Smoker notices what I'm doing just as I leap over him but I'm not about to let my opportunity for escape pass me by. I place both of my feet together in a split second before planting them firmly on Smoker's back.

As soon as I make contact, I jump off Smoker's back. My legs kick Smoker straight forwards, causing him to run head first into the open warehouse, considering the large iron shutter was torn off previously by Monarch's powers. I hear the police captain stumble to the floor but I don't have the time to stop and apologise. As soon as I make my move, everyone starts shooting at me. Despite Tashigi's darts, it appears that all of the police officers are shooting me with bullets. I guess cutbacks to the force mean that they only get one crazy bitch with a dartgun per team.

Thank Oda that's all though. If ALL of the police officers had her kind of gun, I'd be getting an extreme form of acupuncture right now. Luckily, all of the bullets that make contact with me instantly rebound, giving me enough time to stretch my arm over to another nearby streetlamp and from there, I rocket my way forwards into the night. As I soar over the chaotic scene below, I glance backwards and catch sight of Tashigi.

Surprisingly, instead of taking the time to shoot at me, she has instead rushed over to her captain and is currently helping him up. Her face seems really red as she pulls him up off the floor. I shrug. She must have a cold or something like that.

Smoker, however, is not as kind to her in return, shouting loudly about 'him getting away' or something like that. By the time Smoker looks up, I'm too far away to be easily followed. Tashigi readjusts herself and fires a dart into the air but it pointlessly falls short of her target. Despite the disappearing threat, I don't stop moving. Where I am heading? Straight home! I've had one hell of a night and I think I'm finally ready to get some sleep.

I've met up with Hancock tonight, failed horribly in keeping her safe from her dad all because she locked me up in her wardrobe and I was too dazed and stupid to do anything about it, discovered a new super villain stalker who wants me dead, failed badly at catching him and now, I've only just escaped from a band of police officers who are now convinced I'm the most evil thing in this city.

I would ask if anything else could go wrong now but I'm too afraid to ask the question because, knowing my luck, things WOULD get worse.

"Sabo…" I breathed in despair instead "everything is getting so complicated. What should I do?"

No answer comes but a cold wind scraping my back. I sigh loudly.

Some superhero I'm turning out to be. I guess my luck from the other day didn't hold up too well.

_"You've done enough tonight Scarlet. Go get some rest"_

The sudden voice in my head jolts me awake and I immediately stop in my tracks. Luckily, I'm standing on a building when I decide this. I pause for a moment, looking around. That voice sounded like…

"Bellemere?" I ask, hoping for some reply. Silence is the only form of response I get. Once more, I sigh loudly "look at yourself Luffy, you're going insane. JUST what this city needs…"

Then again…it has been one hectic night…sleep would definitely help with my current headache. With that thought, my resolve and focus return and I start moving once more, heading for home.

I think I've had enough excitement tonight to last me a lifetime.

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 3: Polarity Act 4**_

_**Until then, I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter of the Scarlet Wind.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is advised.**_


	12. Chapter 3: Polarity Act 4

_**I told you I had another chapter in the waiting and sure enough, here it is! I must warn you though not to be expecting another update next week. This week's chapter is only a result of dividing a much longer Act 3 into two more manageable (and easily readable) parts. The next chapter might take a bit longer to come out and I hope you can all be patient with me whilst I write it.**_

_**That's all I really need to say in this annotation, so on with the next chapter of the Scarlet Wind!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Polarity Act 4**_

_**Ace P.O.V**_

"Oh, where could he be? It's Ten minutes to Eleven and he's still not home. WHEN HE GETS HERE I'LL…oh, I hope he's alright" I sigh loudly at Makino's worried cries.

"Makino, calm down would you?" I warn her with a concerned frown "you're going to wear a hole in the floor" Currently, I'm lying on the couch, halfway in the middle of watching a detective TV-show that has long since been forgotten. Instead, my focus has shifted to Makino, who's pacing left and right in the hall. Of course, it's been a while since Luffy left and I'm a little concerned Luffy hasn't come home yet…but I also trust my little brother not to do anything stupid…

Okay, I trust him to not do anything stupid ON PURPOSE!

Besides, when he walked in before, he seemed like something was troubling him. I tried finding out what was wrong but Luffy's always acting so distant these days.

"But he's not here" Makino replied simply "I've tried phoning him SIX TIMES, I've left dozens of texts on his phone. WHERE COULD HE BE!"

"Luffy's been home later than this" I try to reassure her.

"NOT ON A SCHOOL NIGHT!" Makino counters "AND he's out past curfew"

"The curfew you revoked so we could go with Garp on that 'family visit'" I remind her but Makino doesn't want to listen.

"It's dark out. Who knows what could happen to him out there?" she asks with a sad sigh "I thought he said he was going to try to get better at getting home on time. Oh, if he's not dead out there, I'm going to kill him!"

"The guy's a teenager" I reason with a sigh "he's got a lot on his plate already, give him some time and space to think. He said he needed time to himself"

"He can't use that as an excuse though!" Makino replies "he's had several hours out there to himself and he's still not back yet! I wouldn't mind it but he never answers his phone or replies to my text. It's like whenever he disappears he becomes a phantom"

"Perhaps our little Luffy has got himself a girlfriend he keeps sneaking out to go see" I suggest with a sly grin "that would explain his sudden interest in 'privacy'" Makino turns to me, seemingly confused on whether my suggestion is possibly valid.

"…You think?" she suddenly asks, leaning on the wall with her hand on her chin. Glancing at the detective on the TV, I nod and begin to imitate his movements.

"It is obvious by the frequent amount of disappearances and by the fact that Luffy supposedly comes back 'exhausted' from these excursions that our dear Luffy has found himself a possible lady friend…possibly even a companion of the male persuasion and because of such, he wishes to not reveal it to us out of embarrassment to us" I explain with a nod "it is elementary my dear Makino"

An awkward silence fills up the space between I and Makino as my green haired mother figure watches me with confusion.

"…Ace…have you been at the sake again?"

"Oh, I get drunk ONE TIME at Shank's birthday party and suddenly, every time I act a little bit crazy, you immediately assume I've been at Shank's personal secret stash"

"Have you?" Makino asks, her tone turning serious as she places her hands on her hips. She gives me her trademark inquisitive stare and I start sweating under it.

"…That's not the point!" I complain, shifting quickly onto another topic "I'm just saying that Luffy's absences have a perfectly logical…"

At that moment, the back door bangs open loudly. I and Makino jump at the sound and turn to face the kitchen. Luckily, our supposed intruder calls out as he enters to let us know he is.

"I know I'm late and I'm sorry but…"

"But nothing Luffy" Makino starts angrily advancing towards the doorway into the kitchen. As she moves, I stand up and give a sigh before following after her. We both make it into the kitchen and get a good look of Luffy…only to pause in surprise.

Like when he came back home, Luffy is wearing his usual school uniform, white shirt, black trousers with his red tie untied and barely wrapped around his neck.

That isn't the odd part though.

The truly surprising thing is that there, on the right hand side of Luffy's face is a rather large purple stain on his face. Makino and I immediately pause and stare at Luffy, who looks at us with confusion.

"Er…guys, I know I'm incredibly good looking but the staring is really not welcome…" Luffy jokes with a grin. Makino, however, isn't as quick to reply but when she does, her stern expression has completely disappeared.

"Luffy! What happened to you? Are you all right?" she practically shrieks, racing over to Luffy's side. Luffy tries to dodge Makino's attempts to grab him and examine his black eye and turns to me for help.

"Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you've got the mother of all shiners on your face" I explain with wide eyes, still stunned by the large bruise on the side of Luffy's face. The rest of Luffy's face pales as I relate to him the news of his black eye and he instantly grabs the right hand side of his face. The panic in his eyes is somewhat strange…as if he hadn't realised it was there.

"Where were you?" Makino inquires, suddenly turning Luffy around and rubbing a damp cloth on the bruise "where did you get that from?"

"Well, I'll tell you the answer to both if you stop fussing" Luffy replies, trying to push the cloth out of his face "I honestly feel fine"

"You don't look fine" Makino insists "stop squirming" I shake my head as Luffy continues to struggle against Makino's attempt to clean the wound. It's just like when we were kids. Luffy would be just as uncooperative with Makino back then too, whether it would be dealing something harmless like cleaning mud off his face or something a little more painful like putting a plaster on a cut knee.

Suddenly, however, reality hits me square in the face. Luffy's not just some innocent kid anymore, he's a teenager with a bruise the size of a well aimed baseball bat on his face. THAT doesn't come about by accident…it just can't…

"What happened?" I ask in Makino's stead. Luffy finally manages to push Makino's cloth out of his face, before he turns to face me. For a fraction of a second, Luffy seems to stop, as if he's thinking about what he's going to say.

"Well, after leaving here, I went for a walk for a bit, visited Sabo's grave and I ended up in our old tree house" he explains "then whilst I was there, I had a bit of a nap"

"A nap in our old tree house?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. Luffy nods.

"I like going there" he admits "It's where I go whenever I need to think. It has a calming effect on me I guess…in this case, maybe a little too calming since I actually fell asleep"

"Well, Nami did say she found you in the tree house last Thursday…" Makino comments aloud.

"See!" Luffy shouts with a grin. He seems far too enthusiastic about Makino's supporting to his story however. Almost as if…he's lying…

Quickly, I shake the thought out of my head.

I can't believe I would even think that.

Luffy? Lying? Impossible! He's always been the type of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. He's the most honest guy I've ever met. I know my brother would never lie, it's not in his nature…

Even so…this feeling that he's bluffing…I can't shake it…

"That doesn't explain why you couldn't answer your phone though" Makino suddenly interrupts, glaring at Luffy for believing she'd let him off so easily "and that also doesn't explain that…" once more, Makino reaches a cloth towards Luffy's black eye but he ducks under her arm and steps to the side in a swift and fluid motion.

Where as Makino doesn't seem surprised by this quick movement, I definitely am. Where did Luffy learn to move like that? His reaction timings are good but they're not exactly super human. I'm so intrigued by this development that I only just realise to refocus my attention towards Luffy as he starts giving his story once more.

"Well, you see, my phone ran out of batteries" he announces, tossing his mobile towards Makino, who begins clicking the buttons to make sure "I couldn't exactly phone you back AND I was also asleep at the time. As for this" he points to the bruise on his face and gives an awkward laugh before rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment "well…I woke up and moved my head up too fast and I banged the side of my face on the wall"

"I've always said that tree house was a death trap" Makino mumbles, going back to inspecting Luffy's face, much to his irritation "but you were still late coming back. We were worried about you"

"She was worried about you" I correct, but Makino glares at me and I quickly fall silent.

"Well, what am I supposed to think when one of my boys just disappears into thin air?" Makino asks with a sigh "both of you are driving me mad with worry these days, especially you Mr Houdini"

"Houdini?" Luffy questions.

"You're the one always pulling the disappearing act whenever I blink" Makino explains, before sighing once more "I know the two of you are just getting on with your own lives…but…"

"Makino, can we not have an emotional moment right now?" Luffy suddenly speaks up "I'm really tired today…besides, you've got no reason to worry. I'm fine, really! Everything's okay!" and to confirm this, Luffy pulls Makino into a hug. She returns the hug with a small smile.

"I know, I know" Makino replies, gently tapping Luffy's back but I couldn't help but frown at her words. Makino had no idea that Luffy's fine, she's just saying she knows to make Luffy (and maybe even make herself) feel better. To be honest, I'm still not sure that Luffy really is fine.

After all, there's that black eye on his face and there's the fact that he's been gone almost all of tonight. He's definitely been up to something…I just wish I knew what's been happening to him recently. I might not show it but I really do worry about Luffy. His grades in school have always been sort of low but he's never had trouble with his attendance like this before.

Skipping lessons, sometimes even spending whole hours away from school? That's not like him. From what Nojiko's told me, he doesn't hang out with Nami and the others too much any more either. It's like there's this whole other side to his life that we don't know about…but the question is: what is that other side to his life?

Luffy finally manages to escape Makino's embrace and yawns loudly.

"Well, it's late already" he announces as if we weren't aware already "I think I'm just going to go to bed" as Luffy attempts to leave, however, Makino grabs his shoulders and pulls him back.

"You think I'm just going to forget about you coming in this late?" she asks with a glare.

"Makino, come on!~" Luffy moans, pouting at the green haired woman with big wide innocent eyes "it was an accident. I promise it'll never ever happen again EVER!" Of course, it only makes sense that Luffy would try giving her 'the look' in order to get out of such a problem. For a moment, Makino remained firm in defiance, glaring towards Luffy. Eventually, however, the boy's charm forces its way under her skin and she sighs loudly.

"Fine…I suppose I could let it slip this one time, especially considering you managed to get such a good grade in that Biology test on Friday" Makino mumbles, but the second Luffy looks like he's about to celebrate, she quickly starts speaking again "but don't think that you can go dashing off again on a school night to who knows where and if for some reason you need to stay out late, answer my calls so that I actually know where you are. I'd like to think that's not so unreasonable…"

"Don't worry Makino" Luffy shouts as he dashes round the corner into the hall "I promise you it won't happen again!"  
"IT BETTER NOT YOUNG MAN" Makino yells in reply, but Luffy is already half way up the stairs, no longer listening to her demands. She once more sighs loudly and places a hand on her forehead "I'm pretty sure you and Sabo weren't this much work when you were teenagers"

"Probably not" I comment, my mind still thinking about Luffy's mysterious black eye. His constant disappearances are definitely not like me when I was a teenager. I admit, I got into a fair share of tough situations and I was by no means a perfect goody two shoes but Luffy's behaviour is a lot more chaotic that how I used to be. I wonder…

"I know teenagers like their privacy...but I can't help but feel like something's wrong"

"I know what you mean" I mutter in reply to Makino's statement, still looking up the dark staircase where Luffy disappeared.

"Ace…" As Makino gently calls my name, I turn to look at her.

"Yeah?" I ask softly.

"I'm worried about him"

"I know Makino"

"But that's not just it" Makino suddenly adds with a sigh "ever since Sabo…passed, I feel like there's been something wrong with Luffy, like he's starting to drift away from us. It's like he doesn't want to be a part of the family anymore and…I can't help but feel that he's always pushing me away…"

"Makino, Luffy doesn't feel like that" I reassure her.

"Doesn't he?" Makino retorts calmly "did he tell you something?" a frown appears on my face at the question and my lip quivers.

"No…he…Luffy never tells me anything anymore" I admit sadly "since we were kids, he used to tell us everything, me and Sabo. We were his confidants but…well, after Sabo…" I stop talking immediately biting my lip. This probably had to be the most times we'd mentioned Sabo in the house since his death and I couldn't help but feel sad whenever the name crept up. It doesn't feel right talking about his death with such a negative relation to Luffy's sudden change, as if my kind and brilliant older brother was to blame for it.

"…So you two haven't talked?" Makino asks, diverting the subject away from Sabo, something was very grateful for.

"No" I reply simply "but if it will make you feel any better, I could go and have a word with him. If he won't talk to you about what's going on, then I'll have to get him to tell me what's wrong"

"Not tonight" Makino suddenly says, walking over from her side of the kitchen and resting a hand on my shoulder "he's just got in and he's tired. He needs rest…BOTH of you do" I can't help but smile as Makino says this. Even now, when I'm Twenty years old, she's still trying to mother me.

"Alright then" I agree "but if I'm going to talk to him, it'll have to be on Friday then. Old man Whitebeard's got me on the night shift at the station tomorrow and Thursday, meaning I'll be starting the shift when Luffy gets home from school and only be back once he's most likely fallen asleep so our chance at a proper meaningful talk will basically be zero" Makino smiles at my explanation and nods in understanding.

"Thank you Ace"

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

I stand with my back to the door of my bedroom, an ear tightly pressed to the woodwork. I'm silent as I take in the words floating up the stairs.

"Makino, you don't have to thank me. We're family and family looks out for each other, right?"

"Yeah, of course…come on, I think it's time we all follow Luffy's example and get some sleep"

I bite my lip, replaying the exchange in my head.

"_I can't help but feel that he's always pushing me away…"_

Makino…I'm sorry…

I never meant to make you feel that way. I'm not trying to push you away, I'm not trying to be some mysterious phantom I just…

Sighing loudly, I flop straight onto my mattress, not bothering to throw off my school clothing. I'm too tired for that right now.

I never thought having a double life would be easy…but I never actually thought it would be this hard. I'm still causing my friends and family such pain because I keep being a superhero...

Why do I still do it though? I mean, it seems like no matter how hard I try, I can't get any victories.

I take down a super villain, I get grounded.

I get an A in my Biology test, I fight another super villain as a reward.

Life finally starts looking up, everything's coming up Luffy and then…

BANG!  
Nami kicks me in the balls, I let Hancock down when she really needs me, I fail to take down the newest freak of nature in town and now it seems like the police are gunning for me.

You know, it's days like these that make me really want to give up being a super hero…

But it's also days like these that remind me why Dawn City still needs a hero. There are freaks like Monarch, Predator and Waxwork on the loose out there and there are still people I need to protect, including my family and my friends. I groan slightly, remembering all the trouble I've caused…

Giving up isn't my style though.

I have to keep on being Scarlet for the greater good, no matter how much I really don't want to.

With another small sigh, I relax into my mattress, ignoring the part of my brain reminding me to reset my alarm for tomorrow morning. Makino will wake me up anyway and right now, I need to catch up on my sleep. Wrapping up in my blankets, my scarlet costume safely tucked away in my closet, a single thought helps me drift off into happy dreams.

Everything will be better in the morning…

* * *

_**Usopp P.O.V**_

Lunch has been my favourite time of the day for as long as I can remember.

But today, it was a time to get some advice…

"I MEAN, HOW THE HECK IS THAT GUY ATTRACTIVE?"

Or complain, whatever gets this feeling off of my chest first.

"Usopp, just give it up" Nami sighs, taking a sip from her can of cola. I glare at her in response.

"NO! I'M SERIOUS! IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" I continue to argue, growling with rage. Currently, I, Zoro, Nami, Robin and Vivi are the only people sitting at the table. Kaya left her lunch at home and Chopper and Sanji had decided that they'd keep her company as she waited for Merry outside, whilst we all go inside and get food. Unfortunately, even the aroma of cafeteria pizza fails to get me to cheer up "I MEAN, SHE BARELY KNOWS HIM!"

"Usopp, I believe you're taking this a little too seriously dear" Robin comments.

"Oh, I'm sorry 'MUM'" I shout mockingly at Robin's statement "I didn't know I was…"  
"Usopp…" Vivi whispers in a low voice, noticing how Robin's tensing up at my words "you don't want to do this…" I barely hide the look of fear on my face as I glance at Robin's cold sapphire eyes. It seems, just like me, she's not in the mood for messing around today. Luckily, I know how to pick my fights wisely and I quickly concede defeat.

"BUT I'M SERIOUS THOUGH AND NO-ONE IS TREATING THIS AS SERIOUSLY AS ME!"

"Because you're being jealous of a superhero" Zoro grumbles from beside me, his mouth full of rice "and that's kinda sad"

"Zoro, it's best to keep your mouth closed when eating" Robin advises, flicking a stray piece of rice that had fallen onto the table away.

"Usopp's right, you are the mum of the group" Zoro complains. Before Robin could give him a glare, the green haired man focuses his attention back on me "Wise cracks aside; you're getting way too serious about this Usopp. So what if Kaya has a little crush on the Scarlet Wind? Everyone has their little crushes on celebrities. It's like you falling for a movie star…"

"The only difference is I doubt I'm good enough to get with a movie star" I mutter dejectedly to myself.

"Don't get so down Mr. Inferiority Complex" Vivi says with a smile, giving my arm a friendly nudge "you shouldn't be so pessimistic all the time. That's the only reason why you haven't had the guts to ask her out yet" I grunt at her in reply.

"I guess you're right…"  
"Aren't we always?" Zoro asks confidently, relaxing happily in his chair.

"You're not" Nami comments with a chuckle, causing Zoro to almost fall out of his seat.

"AND WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN WITCH?"

"Guys, calm down" Vivi spoke up nervously. Reluctantly, Zoro obeyed Vivi's suggestion, before taking a large bite out of his food.

Soon after, the table faded into a comfortable silence...

"…STILL I DON'T GET WHAT SHE COULD SEE IN THAT GUY!"

For the most part anyway.

"Usopp, give it a rest!" Nami shouted back, almost throwing her fork straight at my forehead "you're being more irritating than Luffy normally is...speaking of which, where is that bonehead?" As Nami speaks those words, we all stop in our tracks. No wonder things were so quiet, Luffy's disappeared again! Guess this means another boring lunch…

However, my mind quickly changes as I hear Vivi giving a small gasp. Quickly, we all turn to her and notice her staring at something on the other side of the room. Curiosity taking hold, we look over there as well…and are stunned into silence by the sight that greets us…

There's Luffy, standing next to…a seated Hancock.

Pause…

Luffy. He's talking to Hancock.

There's another pause…

A long pause…

Glances are exchanged…

A second look is required.

Finally, we all look back at each other.

"Verdict?" Zoro asks before anyone can interrupt him.

"Aliens" I comment.

"Black mail" Vivi states firmly.

"THE BITCH GOT HIM WITH MIND CONTROL" Nami growls low and fierce.

"Really?" Zoro mutters, fingering his ear lazily "I would of guessed a love potion"  
"And I would guess it's because she's his homework partner" Robin explains with a sigh "honestly, all of you are so paranoid"

"But he's SMILING at her" Nami points out "he NEVER smiles at her like that…not after what she's done anyway…" the air around the table suddenly becomes quite tense.

"Maybe she's not all bad…" Vivi suggests.

"Yeah, and maybe I'm the fucking tooth fairy" Nami hisses at the blue haired girl. Somehow, Nami's bitterness didn't seem as over the top as it should have. We all remembered Luffy's brief three second retelling of Hancock's over controlling behaviour (something along the lines of 'She hurt Nami, we're no longer friends').

Then again, however, it had been a long time ago since that event and after that, Hancock appeared to have calmed down quite a bit. She wasn't exactly best buddies with us now but she'd learned a simple lesson: don't mess with Luffy's friends unless you want to get on his bad side and it seemed that both Nami and, to an extent, Luffy had been holding a grudge against her.

It's like my mum says, time heals all wounds and it seems like Luffy is finally just about ready to forgive and forget…

From the look on Nami's face though, it looked like she'd need another century or so to heal her own wounds.

"Nami, be reasonable" Robin mutters "she's a human being after all"

"I'm not so sure about that…" Nami replies in a low growl, before she turns around to look at Luffy once more "still, that doesn't change the fact that he's talking to her now…I wonder what happened between them…"

"Is it really any of our business?" I question, realising that Nami was attempting to intrude on my best friend's life. The orange haired girl gave me her worst glare but even that didn't convince me I was wrong. After all, we were Luffy's friends but that didn't mean we had to dictate his actions, right?

"I agree with Usopp" Zoro says, taking a gulp from his 'special water flask' (which every one knows is really just booze) before continuing to talk "If Luffy wants to talk to her and make friends with her, we can't exactly stop him…even if he's making friends with a total bitch. We're just going to have to keep looking out for him and make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid"

"And if I didn't know any better Nami, it sounds like you're jealous of the attention Luffy's giving to the serpent across the way" Robin jokes, giving Nami another one of her favourite mocking smiles. I'm kinda glad Robin isn't firing her usual small little grin's at me for once. It's Robin's best weapon in an argument.

Heck, I'd even seen her best Zoro and Sanji's squabbling a couple of times with that simple twist of her lips. Even the usually strong and determined Nami actually shows signs of weakening under it, but she looks away from Robin's accusing gaze with an oddly red face.

"I'm just curious that's all…" she grunts, before casting her gaze over to the corner of the room. Both I and Zoro hadn't expected this reaction and glance at each other, before looking to Robin, in a hope that she would explain what was wrong with our orange haired friend. We find no help, however, as Robin presses a finger to her lips, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a book to read.

Great!

With that thing out, she'll be lost to us for the rest of lunch! Vivi, I and Zoro share a very perplexed look, before staring quizzically over at our black haired 'leader'…

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

"E-excuse me?" Hancock stutters, her face now a bright crimson. I smile back at her as widely as I possibly can, before repeating the question.

"Well, seeing as we didn't get any work done last night, I was wondering if you'd like to meet up at Makino's Tavern tonight, about 5-ish? That way we can get some work done so Beckman doesn't fail our asses" I explain, scratching the back of my head, keeping up my happy appearance. Inside my mind, however, my head's killing me.

Why am I thinking so much about everything? This is so stupid. Half of my brain is telling me I'm an idiot for making such a scene with this (in the middle of lunch in front of all Hancock's friends no less) but then, there's that stupid new found pride and that heroic instinct telling me that I need to be nice to Hancock. After all, it'd help make up for me abandoning her last night to her fate and why had I done it? Out of fear? Because she'd told me to stay locked in some dingy closet? I don't know but now, the guilt was eating away at me.

She was right before. People do change, they change all the time…and sometimes, to get people to change for the better, all you have to do is give them a chance and reach out a hand…

Hancock still sits where she is in silence, looking up at me in complete confusion. I wouldn't have minded so much…it was just that all the other girls on the table were doing the same. Marigold and Sandersonia especially couldn't believe their ears and were looking at me as if I'd just crashed through the roof in a spaceship.

I quickly had to check to make sure that my Scarlet costume wasn't poking out under my shirt, just to make sure that wasn't the reason why they were all staring at me as if I was some kind of freak. After a while, Hancock finally seems to find her voice, though it has a quiet and embarrassed tone to it.

"…Y-y-you want to meet up with me?" Hancock asks with baited breath.

"Yeah"

"After school?"

"Yeah" I reply once more, giving her a nod of confirmation. Is something wrong with her hearing?

"…Like a date?" she asks hopefully. I feel a bit irritated at the question, but Hancock's wide eyed expression gets me to lower my harsh denial down to a shrug. After all that's happened recently, she needs something in her life to cheer up her up, right?

"…If that's what you want to call it…then sure" I say calmly. Hancock's mouth grows wider at that statement and immediately, the other girls on the table start to gossip amongst themselves.

"Like, oh my Oda, did he just say what I thought he said?"

"I know Daisy, Luffy asked Hancock to meet up with him!"

"Sounded like he was asking her on a date really…"

"So…is that a yes?" I inquire, ignoring the other girls on the table. Once more, Hancock takes a while to reply (I swear I notice her pinching her cheek for some weird reason) before finally, she answers my question.

"S-s-sure. T-that sounds nice…" she stutters with a look of uncertainty on her face.

"Cool!" I conclude the conversation with a smile, before heading back to my table as casually as possible. Unfortunately, my actions have not gone unnoticed and I can hear onlookers commenting on me from afar.

"From the way they're looking at me, you'd think I'd just told her I wanted to marry her or some weird crap like that" I think to myself, before sitting down next to Nami.

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

As Luffy sits down, I make sure to avoid eye contact with him…not that he is looking at me anyway…

He's too busy staring down at his unfinished lunch. Honestly, watching Luffy eat is like watching an explosion. It's an incredibly dangerous and volatile natural force but it's something you find you can't quite look away from because it's just so bizarre. In a matter of seconds, Luffy's eating happily, chewing on the nameless meat which Makino had packed into his lunch. As he starts to demolish it, sinking his teeth into the meat, I quickly glance away and shudder.

One of these days I would HAVE to teach him some table manners…

However, I soon notice that his loud chomping dies down. For a moment, I feel his eyes on the back of my neck, before I finally over to him. As I predicted, Luffy has indeed stopped eating (I know! It's weird right?) and now, he seems to be staring at me in confusion. Slowly, he turns to glance at Zoro, Usopp and Vivi too, noticeably unsettled by their silence.

"…Are you guys alright?" he asks, looking between the four of us with a nervous laugh "you look like you've seen a ghost" there was a small pause, before Zoro finally spoke up, casting Luffy a reassuring grin.

"Yeah, everything's good Luffy" he said calmly.

"We're all fine" Usopp added as well, faking a smile.

"We were just wondering what was keeping you" Vivi explains with a soft smile. Of course, all of these excuses were wrong but, as usual, Luffy falls for them and starts laughing.

"Sorry about that guys but I had a bit of business to attend to"  
"With Hancock?" I question suddenly. Luffy jumps at the accusation but then, he nods.

"Yeah…I was just talking with her about doing that homework thing tonight" he says with a grin "last night, Makino called me back home early so we didn't get a chance to finish it" taking in this information, I nod slowly, before turning back to the lunch box. It seemed like a valid reason and Luffy wasn't really the lying type (not that he had been any good at it to begin with). I can even hear Robin giving a small chuckle from behind her book at being right…

Why is she always right? She was right about her guess that Luffy had left those flowers last Thursday, when I'd phoned her about it that night. She was right about Luffy talking to Hancock because he was her science partner…

…And, I hate to admit it, but…she's right about me being jealous…and that's odd for me…

I'm not usually envious of other people, especially not of Hancock. I like everything about my life just the way it is and I wouldn't trade it for Hancock's so called 'beautiful' looks thank you very much.

But seeing Luffy talking to her then…well, it just got under my skin a little. The weird thing is, I don't know why I'm so bothered with that. It's not like I feel irritated when Luffy's talking to other girls, like Robin or Vivi or Conis…but for some reason, that's not the same with Hancock. Just then, seeing him smile at her and watching him talk to her whilst looking so interested and so concerned about her...I wanted him to look at me like…

I shake my head and sigh, snapping the sombre thoughts away instantly. What was wrong with me? I was thinking really weirdly lately, especially about Luffy and I don't get why. I mean, a few days ago, he was my idiotic hyperactive best friend and now…

Well, granted, he still is my idiotic hyperactive best friend…but now…well, I feel like there's something MORE…

Or that I want something more…

"Hey Nami…" At the voice, I snap around instantly to see Luffy. Once again, he's looking over at me, though this time; he's started eating once again "are you okay?" he says whilst chewing his food, sending a sprinkle of crumbs to the floor. It really is disgusting how he's talking with his mouthful…but…then I see that cute caring look in his dark eyes and then…

"Terrific" I reply, smiling widely at him, before looking down at my lunch. I had suddenly lost my appetite…but, it would be useless just to throw it away…especially when I had the human garbage can sitting next to me. I pick up a mikan from my lunch box and then move my outstretched palm towards Luffy "here…" Luffy blinks in confusion, staring at the orange orb in my hand as if it was some rare and valuable treasure.

"…You…you want me to have that?" he asks in bewilderment.

"What do you know? He CAN be taught" I say with a roll of my eyes. Luffy pouts at the comment and I laugh at how insulted he looks, before putting his mind at ease "It's okay, take it. I'm not really all that hungry…" For a moment, the raven haired boy's hand reaches out for the orange in my hand. Then, the next second, it stops and he looks me in the eyes.

"Are you sure?" he inquires with a thoughtful look on his face "I know they're your favourite food…"  
"It's fine. Like I said, I'm not hungry, so take it" I continue to encourage him with a smile.

"But…"  
"Take it you big idiot" I smirk at Luffy in an attempt to break the tension and it shatters like ice. Luffy smiles back at me before taking the tangerine gently out of my hand.

"Wow~ Thanks Nami" he says with a grin…before failing horribly at trying to remove the skin of the fruit. I can't help but sigh watching him and quickly turned away with a shake of my head.

This was the guy who I was thinking so much about lately?

I need to get my head checked out.

Something's DEFINITELY wrong with me…

* * *

_**Third person P.O.V**_

A small beeping sound erupted from next to his ear and Vegapunk sighed loudly.

"I'm sorry Ceasar old friend but I've got business to attend to. There's a call on the other line" Vegapunk said to his sleek black mobile "give my regards to Monet would you?" and as soon as it had began, his phone call had ended in a brief click of the red phone icon. One call was over and as it ended, the other call began.

"Yes, can I help you?" he asked, tapping his knee with one hand. Vegapunk hardly ever answered the phone any other way. The mobile he was currently using was his private line. Everyone who phoned it did not need to be reminded of who they were phoning. If they did, they probably weren't intellegent enough to keep up with him anyway…

"Er hello Mr Vegapunk sir" a quiet voice replied from the other end "My name is Hira Haruki sir. I'm sorry to interrupt you whilst you're busy but…"  
"Is there a purpose for you calling me or can I just send you to voicemail?" Vegapunk questioned angrily, tapping his knee harder, revealing his hidden anger.  
"My apologies once again sir" Haruki squeaked helplessly from the other side of the line. The sound amused Vegapunk so much that his anger vanished.

"Very well, be quick then. What's wrong?"

"It's the flight tech prototype air board sir" Haruki explained "you remember the one that you were preparing for Mr Donflamingo?"

"Indeed" Vegapunk replied with an unconcerned nod.

"It was…stolen last night sir, by a man in a mask..."

The man who was driving the Taxi quickly noted that his passenger's face had turned a dark red with rage as he gripped his phone tightly, almost as if he wanted to snap it in half. It was only for a moment, but the rage was obvious before he sighed and regained control over his emotions. He had to be relaxed about this setback, composed.

"My user ID is VegapunkG589" he explained simply "and the password to the folder you're looking for is 'Project Icarus'. Now, be a good little boy and print off a copy of the designs and e-mail them to Donflamingo. I'm sure he can take care of the construction of the next one without my supervision"

"But…sir" Haruki mumbled in confusion "aren't YOU going to send them?"  
"I am a busy man Mr. Hira" Vegapunk simply responded, losing patience now in Haruki's stalling "now get those plans to Donflamingo as soon as possible. If you're lucky, you'll find an extra couple of hundred beris in your bank account" Haruki seemed to choke at Vegapunk's suggestion.

"R-r-right away sir!" the man replied, before the phone went dead. Haruki had hung up and now, was most likely quickly busying himself putting to right the latest mishap. Vegapunk let out a sigh and massaged his brow.

"Troublesome supers…" he muttered to no-one in particular. Despite his irritation, however, Vegapunk appeared to calm himself down rather quickly. After all, the problem was minor and the thief had only stolen the prototype to the jetboard, not the plans. He doubted anyone knew enough about technology to emulate his successful creation so there was no problem.

Besides, he had already guessed who the thief could be and he knew that there was no danger to himself.

It was a minor set-back and one that he could now ignore. He could relax and calm himself down, taking the rest of the day calmly in his stride…

Or so he thought anyway…

It soon came to Vegapunk's attention that the taxi he'd decided to take across town back to his apartment had remained stationary for far too long. Glancing out the window, he saw no traffic lights and the road ahead looked clear, but never the less, the vehicle remained motionless. They didn't even appear to be on the main road anymore, but trapped in the middle of a side alley.

"What's the hold up?" he asked, checking his watch "I have places to be you know"  
"I'm well aware sir" the driver replied, in a surprisingly nervous gulp "it's just that...there appears to be a distraction sir"  
"What distraction?" Vegapunk asked, his eyebrow rising cynically at the driver's vague explanation. The answer he received came from an unexpected source, however, as a loud tap sounded beside his window. Vegapunk turned to meet the sight of a man standing at the car window. The man appeared to be dark skinned and had a relatively unshaven look.

The man grabbed hold of the door handle and pulled it open, gesturing for Vegapunk to exit. Behind the man, a short black limousine pulled up silently alongside Vegapunk's taxi. As it smoothly stopped, the silent man gripped the door handle of the Limo door as well before tugging it open. The sight that met Vegapunk's eyes made him stare in disbelief.

There, sitting in the rear of the limo, was a blue haired woman dressed in a simple long violet dress. Her usually frizzy hair was now styled so that it fell free and vibrant down her back, whilst her fringe had been styled so it hung over one eye. Her figure hugged the violet fabric quite nicely, highlighting her curves and revealing just a bit of cleavage due to the low neckline of the dress. The dress only covered one of her slender legs as well whilst the left leg, the one closest to Vegapunk, was slightly exposed.

The woman gave a seductive smile at the scientist and patted the space in the Limo next to her.

"Get in" she instructed simply. Vegapunk's reply was to smile.

"Best kidnapping ever" Vegapunk thought to himself as he stepped out of the Taxi, ignoring the gun-man who was currently aiming a pistol at the driver's head.

"Thank you for the help Daz" Vegapunk commented to the dark skinned man as he passed him and entered the limo, next to the woman in purple. Daz Bones said nothing in reply, but closed the door once Vegapunk was inside the safety of the limo. Once Vegapunk was inside, the limo immediately started moving once more, jerking quickly out of the alley way and onto the open road. Vegapunk was sure he could hear a soft pang as the driver of his taxi was disposed of quite effectively…

Of course, Mr Zero hated witnesses…

"My dear Paula" he continued, turning to the woman beside him "how are you? Still acting as Mr Zero's secretary I see" Paula did not comment on what Vegapunk had said and merely smiled back at him. Another voice, however, replied instead of the great Mafia boss' assistant.

"Please Vegapunk, there's no need to be so formal. We're all friends here right?" Vegapunk jumped a little at the voice and glanced over towards the front of the limo. There, sitting facing them, so close that Vegapunk could almost touch him was a man with large dark eyes that were glaring into his very soul. His dark purple hair which, whilst combed neatly, also travelled down to the top of his shoulders stood out to Vegapunk most of all as the abnormal colour was clearly a sight to behold.

Even in the dark, Vegapunk could still notice that the man was currently dressed in his usual attire, an orange black stiped vest with a dark blue scarf draped around his neck. The man's fur coat hung around his shoulders quite loosely. Vegapunk felt a chill run up his spine as he watched the man's calm and laidback position. The small smile on Mr Zero's face and the scar that ran across his face over his nose seemed to shimmer slightly in the filtered light that peaked through the tinted windows.

Quickly, however, Vegapunk's timid shudder vanished almost as soon as it had appeared and it was replaced by a small smile. After all, this was not the first time he had met one of the two most powerful gangsters in Dawn City and if he was seen to be timid around his employer, Crocodile would have exploited the moment of weakness for all it was worth. That was how people were in this dark world and Vegapunk had learned so the hard way. Never the less, he remained calm as he stared down the crime lord, though a part of him wondered exactly how he had not noticed the man's entrance.

"My apologies Mr Crocodile" he said with a smile "though I do wonder what was so important that it could not wait until my meeting with Spandam tomorrow and of course, why we're meeting up personally for this little chat? I thought you wished to keep your business identity and your crime-lord persona as far away from each other as possible and I assume you didn't pull me over just so we could get some lunch" Crocodile couldn't help but chuckle a little at the man opposite him, before turning to look at the woman currently relaxing next to the scientist.

"I told you he was a smart one, didn't I Paula?" the man with the scar said with a chuckle, before shaking his head "you don't mind if I smoke whilst we do this do you?"

"Certainly not" Vegapunk replied calmly. Crocodile smiled, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigar. He chomped on it firmly once it was in his mouth until it was able to hang there by his teeth's aid. As he continued speaking, he began searching his pockets "if you'd have been a detective, you could have been my greatest adversary. Instead…"

"I'm a scientist and by extension, a helpful provider" Vegapunk replied, removing a lighter from his own coat pocket, before leaning forwards and flicking the flame on. Crocodile remained stationary as Vegapunk lit the end of his cigar and as the scientist's pale white hand retreated, Crocodile grabbed the cigar in his only hand and pulled it gently away from his lips, blowing a puff of smoke out towards the floor.

"Indeed…thought that is exactly why I called this little meeting between us"

"You have found a flaw in my generosity to your cause?" Vegapunk questioned, looking out of the shaded window and watching the pedestrians outside.

"I would hardly call it generosity" Paula countered "after all, we've been paying you handsomely for your efforts in turning Lucci into a super soldier and making that pathetic weakling Galdino into a force to be reckoned with"

"I'm grateful for that of course" Vegapunk admitted, turning to glare cynically at Paula, before rolling her eyes "I am merely pointing out that I do not understand why we need to discuss this any further. I have been donating my time and effort considerably to these experiments regarding the super soldiers. I was the one who suggested you choose Lucci for the operation knowing a professional mercenary would be more able to handle the mutagen than the average test subject you sent me, I was the one spending sleepless night after sleepless night researching the exact chemical compound of what to make Galdino's armour out of and I know you may be forgetting, but it was also I who first created the elixir that transformed these useless humans into gods. I have fulfilled my part of the bargin. I have done my job"

Vegapunk was soon aware he had said the wrong thing as the next thing he knew, Croodile had reached forwards, his hook curving barely around Vegapunk's neck. The scientist gasped as he felt the steel brush gently against it. If Crocodile wanted to, he could kill him right now…

"Done your job!" Crocodile shrieked with rage "is that so? Then tell me, if that's true, how come the Scarlet Wind is still alive?"

"Calm down Sir" Paula commented softly, reaching out to grab the man's arm "now is not the time to kill your best chance against the Scarlet Wind, you know that"

"I do" Crocodile simply replied, but he did not move his hook from Vegapunk's neck. For a moment, Vegapunk was silent once more. Then, he smiled. He wasn't going to die. It wasn't in Crocodile's best interests.

"I'm listening" he said, staring directly into the man's eyes. For a moment, Crocodile looked almost like he was going to go back on his better instinct and kill the foolish man where he stood…

But today was not a day for pointless deaths and wasted chances, so he gracefully slipped the hook away from Vegapunk's throat, allowing the scientist to breathe once more. The scientist shivered for a moment and let out a sigh of gratitude but continued to await Crocodile's instruction.

"I am a man who takes failures in his stride" Crocodile began, taking another puff of his cigar before continuing "failure is nothing more than what we name our lessons and my mistakes have made me strong" Vegapunk resisted the urge to glance at Crocodile's hook as he spoke, realising that the crime lord was currently holding it with his hand, no doubt remembering his biggest mistake…

"Accidents happen" Crocodile continued "and sometimes the results are…unpleasant…" the hook sparkled under his fire filled eyes "but I am sad to say that I cannot afford you the luxury of making mistakes Vegapunk. I'm putting too much money into your research and it's getting more and more difficult for me to watch my best laid plans fall to pieces, especially because of one Scarlet stain on this city"

"This superhero causing you more problems than you first suspected?"

"Indeed" Crocodile replied, looking up to Vegapunk with a stony face. He might have sounded desperate but his voice was strong and determined, hiding it behind a tone of steel "he doesn't just go after the big fish. A few nights ago, he foiled a warehouse break in by some of my best men and brought all of them down. They're currently resting in Impel Down and it's not going to be easy to buy them out. Plus, this Hyena guy is making a lot of ripples, as much as I hate to admit it. If that wasn't bad enough though, Donflamingo has worked out that I'm the one who organised Predator's break in at his little party last Thursday"

"I see" Vegapunk mumbled "that must have been a rather awkward conversation…"

"Not really, he's more concerned with something else…"

"Something else?" Vegapunk mumbled "like what?"

"Where I got a leopard man from" Vegapunk winced at the words but Crocodile continued speaking regardless "he wants to learn who made Lucci intothat thing…he's looking to pay heavily to employ someone to make his own super powered thieves"

"Why are you telling me this?" Vegapunk asked, suddenly realising that Crocodile was being far too calm whilst telling him this.

"Because Donflamingo is planning on offering you two million beri a year for you to work exclusively for him and make super powered mercenaries solely for his sake" Crocodile explained "and I can't have that. Paula, if you please"

"Certainly" Paula responded with a nod, reaching to her side and retrieving a suitcase that had been resting by her side. Vegapunk's eyebrow rose as the woman planted the suitcase in his lap before opening it. As the case opened, Vegapunk's mouth hung open in shock, his eyes sparkling. Inside the suitcase was money. More money than Vegapunk had ever seen. Piles upon piles of Beri. Vegapunk reached out to grab the money in the case…only for Crocodile to slam the case shut before he had a chance too.

"I want you to officially, or unofficially, become one of my employees" Crocodile explained, just in case Vegapunk was confused on the matter "You will be creating more of these super powered beings, as strong as you can make them and sometimes, more than one at once. In turn, I will provide you with all the resources and test subjects you need to make this come true and I will be providing, as you can see, quite a high salary for you. It will be exactly the same as things were when you were working as a free lance scientist except you will have better pay and you will have to answer to me exclusively" Crocodile paused for a moment

"However…" and it was this however that Vegapunk had been waiting for "Let us suppose for a moment that you agreed to this proposition and let us suppose once more that you betray my orders or possibly you might be trying to work for people other than myself…well then, I would have no choice but to...eliminate you"

"In other words, if I ever betray your trust, you've going to make me suffer" Vegapunk concluded. Crocodile nodded.

"Now you get the picture" Crocodile responded with a smile "I told you he was bright, did I not Paula?" Paula nodded as Vegapunk spoke.

"And if I don't agree to this proposition?" As a reply, Paula promptly reached her right hand thigh and pulled out an object that was quickly pressed against Vegapunk's head. The cold steel quickly informed Vegapunk it was a pistol of some kind.

"You and I can either be the best of friends or the worst of enemies" Crocodile replied "I have people all over the city who work for me, half of which probably don't even know it, and I can see that things will go my way. Give me your solemn promise that you will serve me and…" as Crocodile spoke, he reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper, which he placed on top of the briefcase in Vegapunk's lap along with a pen

"Sign this contract and I'll see to it that the two of us will rule this city together…as partners in crime" For a moment, the limo seemed to grow colder. Paula had still yet to move the gun away from Vegapunk's head, yet the man didn't appear to be anymore flustered by the presence of the weapon that he would have been if she'd have pulled out a banana on him. His eyes were now focused on the piece of paper in front of him. He was reading the fine print and Crocodile could not help but admire the intelligence of the scientist.

"I'm being hired to your 'Personnel support branch'?" Vegapunk wondered as he read the job title Crocodile had offered him out loud. Crocodile nodded.

"Well, you will indeed be dealing with Mr Zero's personnel…and you will also be giving them 'support'" he reasoned. After a long pause, Vegapunk smiled, seemingly satisfied with what he had read on the contract.

"I suppose if I have no choice, I might as well be on the winning side" the scientist said with a shrug "but I must say this seems quite extreme just to get me to make more of these super villains for you to beat that Scarlet"

"You seem to underestimate your place in my organisation" Crocodile responded with another puff of smoke "your experiments are a necessity to my cause and without you, all of my plans fall to pieces" Vegapunk nodded slowly, before he placed the pen to the paper and a few swift flicks of his wrist later, his signature was currently embroidered on the contract.

"Now" Crocodile began, watching as Paula removed her pistol from the scientist's head "we can begin again as official partners. I'm going to need more of those super powered mercenaries as soon as possible. We've finished preparing your new lab and we've even selected a new test subject. You can start first thing tomorrow working full time"

"A new test subject?" Vegapunk wondered aloud "who's the latest unlucky fool to get involved?" Crocodile nodded to Paula in reply, who opened the suitcase once more and removed a small file with the candidates name on it.

"His name's Palazzo Buggy" Paula explained "he's a small time criminal but it seems he has quite the grudge with the Scarlet Wind"

"I see" Vegapunk responded, taking the file with a grin "this situation is becoming more and more interesting. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you're trying to get a super powered army of people who all hate the Scarlet Wind"

"It's far easier for people to act out of hatred than for money" Crocodile responded "this just makes things a lot simpler. How long will it take to have him transformed?"

"If I start work on the theory immediately, I might be able to fix him up by Friday at the latest" Vegapunk responded.

"See that you do because this time tomorrow, Mr Zero will have officially declared war on the Scarlet Wind" were Crocodile's final words on the matter.

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 1**_

"_Tell me Mr Hyena. Would you like to help me bring down to the Scarlet Wind?"_

_**Until next time, I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I love taunting you guys with cliff hanger endings and secret peaks at the next chapter :P**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	13. Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 1

_**And so, here we go again! It's time for more escapades for our favourite superhero!**_

_**Many of you have probably noticed I've not been updating as much, to which my simple reply would be: University.**_

_**With my usual excuse/desire to cut to the story introduction sorted out, I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 1**_

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

"Alright everyone, class dismissed," Beckman announces loudly at the front of the class. "I'd like you all to check through pages 24-25 in your text books for tomorrow's lesson and I want you to place your homework projects in the red tray at the front of the class."

As usual, half the class has already lost interest in what Beckman has said. Is it really that shocking? Well, not really when you consider the fact that on Thursday, Science is our last lesson of the day and everyone's impatient and wants to get home as soon as possible.

Well, almost everyone…

I've still got to visit Bon to pick up a patched up version of my suit (again, which is something Bon isn't thrilled about either). I really wish that these bad guys would stop exploiting my weakness to sharp objects. Between Predator's claws and Monarch's well aimed shurikens, my costume has been damaged twice in one week. I guess frequent visits to Bon will be yet another result of the sudden rise in the number of super villains in Dawn City.

I enjoyed things so much better when I was the only freak in town.

Quickly remembering that my appointment with Bon was still half an hour away from now, I jump up out of my seat and hoist my bag over my shoulder. I've got something to do first after all. Whilst most of the class makes their way towards the exit, I and some of the other students head towards the front of the class, to drop off our projects. I still can hardly believe Hancock actually trusted me enough to actually hand in the project myself. Last night, after we'd finished working out the presentation at Makino's bar, I tried to tell her that it was better if she had it. Not only does my dual identity tend to be a major distraction but I'm also just naturally bad at keeping things safe or remembering where they are. Never the less, Hancock just laughed off my excuse and said she had faith in me. Despite my momentary lapse of confusion and fear at her house, she still has faith in me.

I'm not sure whether I should be proud of that or ashamed…

Then again, I suppose everyone deserves a second chance. I'm giving her one and she's giving me one too. When you give people that second chance, they might surprise you. I know Hancock surprised me. Our study session was actually pretty fun. We met up at Makino's bar (she apparently knew where it was) and then we got straight to work on our project. Makino, thankfully, seemed to keep out of our way so we could work…but she did keep flashing us this weird smile. I didn't understand why and I still don't so it's best to really not think about it.

After we finished, Makino insisted I walk Hancock home (I told her Hancock didn't live too far and that she was independent enough to walk home on her own but she insisted I walk her, saying something about being a 'gentleman' to my 'date'). I don't get where everyone is pulling this idea of me dating Hancock from. A guy hangs out with a girl for two nights in a row and then *poof* suddenly they've been together for five years and are planning to get married with a baby on the way.

As I approach Beckman's desk, I notice he looks up at me in confusion. Without saying a word, I simply slide our project into the tray.

"I thought you said you weren't going to work with her," Beckman mutters in surprise.

"I thought so too," is all I could think to reply with. Beckman simply nods, probably having been stunned speechless by my statement.

Without waiting for him to regain his speech, I quickly dash out of the classroom. It's an oddly nice feeling when you can actually leave someone completely speechless. I grin widely as I push my way out of the room. Immediately, I'm met with a wall of other students coming out of their classes. I groan loudly as I leap into the mindless cluster, forcing my way through the noise. I fail to make out any familiar faces in the crowd. It seems like all of my friends have disappeared into the crowd in an instant. I glance around the waves of students for a sign of their presence.

I can't spot a long nose poking out of the group.

I can't see a shade of green hair bouncing about.

…I do, however, spot one thing amongst the crowd.

A vibrant and familiar shade of short orange hair swaying in the distance.

Nami!

"Hey Nami! Hey!" I call out, chasing after my orange haired friend.

At first, Nami doesn't seem to notice me, so I call out to her again.

"Nami!"

This time, Nami finally turns around and spots me. However, she doesn't slow down either. Our eyes meet across the room and then she turns back around. I raise my eyebrow at this. What's up with her? Quickly, I speed up, pushing relentlessly through the crowd. It doesn't take long for me to finally reach Nami and when I do, she seems shocked that I caught up with her so quick.

"Nami?"  
"Hi…" she mumbles, quickly looking away from me.

This makes me even more confused. Is she trying to ignore me?  
"Nami, are you okay?"  
"Of course I'm okay," she replies, still not looking at me but instead focusing her gaze at the door ahead. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"  
"I don't know," I admit nervously. "It's just that I feel like you've been avoiding me recently."

"I've not been avoiding you!" she snaps, finally turning to face me.

The rage at being accused is clear in her voice but I refuse to back down from the subject.

"Well, you didn't wait for me at lunch like usual and you wouldn't talk to me during today's lessons. Heck, the last time we spoke was when you gave me that orange you had," I explain, tilting my head slightly as I offer her a sad frown. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem a bit…"  
"A bit?" Nami urges me to continue with a raised eyebrow.

I bite my lip nervously at Nami's strong gaze.

"…Angry." I finally reply.

At the word, Nami seems to realise she's actually starting to glare at me and backs away slightly.

"Sorry."

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask once more. "Is something wrong?"

Nami doesn't reply for a moment, so I press the issue further.

"Have I done something bad?"

"What?" Nami questions in return, looking at me in confusion.

"Have I done something bad?" I repeat. "Are you mad at me for some reason?"  
"No!" Nami insists, holding out a hand to me, instructing me to calm down. "No, I'm not mad at you Luffy."

I give a sight of relief. Thank Oda. I thought Nami not talking to me meant that she hated me because of something I've done…though unfortunately, saying no only narrows things down a bit.

"Then what's wrong then?" I ask once more. "It's not nice to keep secrets."

I can't believe I of all people just said that…

Then again, Nami's secret can't be as dangerous as mine. She's not a super heroine…

…I think anyway…

She's pretty incredible but I don't think she dresses up every night in skin tight spandex to fight crime...even though that would be pretty cool.

"Luffy, I'm fine!" Nami insists. "I just…I've been thinking recently."  
"Thinking? About what?" I question with a raised eyebrow.

"Just thinking about things," Nami explains, though that still doesn't explain anything really.

I frown at her cryptic words.

"Nami, you should cheer up. I don't like it when you're all mopey."  
"I'm not 'mopey'," Nami counters "and I'm pretty sure that isn't even a word."  
"Well, it should be," I mumble. "My point is that you shouldn't think too much, it hurts your head."

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Nami murmurs, casting a small smile my way.

Despite the playful insult, I take Nami's smile as a sign of victory. I don't like seeing my friends unhappy, so Nami's change of mood is a welcome sight. Maybe I'm also feeling good though, because I feel like I'm getting my own problems off of my chest. I've been thinking a little too much recently too, doubting myself when I'm Scarlet and whether or not I've done the right thing.

"If you spend all your time thinking, then I guess life might just pass you by."

"You think?" I jump slightly, realising I was speaking out loud accidentally.

"Yeah, I guess," I say under my breath, not having much confidence in just a random thought.

Honestly, I haven't gotten used to looking before I leap yet, or talking before I think about what I'm going to say.

Never the less, Nami actually seems pleased with my answer.

"I guess you're right. I just can't help but think about things recently."

"Like what?" At the question, Nami appears hesitant.

She turns to look at me for a moment, before smiling.

"None of your business," she responds, sticking out her tongue.

I can't help but laugh at that.

"There's the Nami we all know and love!" I announce happily, placing my arms behind my head and closing my eyes as I laugh.

I look over to Nami once more but this time, Nami is looking away from me. Was it something I said? She seems to have fallen quiet at my words.

I open my mouth to change the subject but suddenly get interrupted as a pair of arms wrap around my neck, pulling me into an awkward hug as I'm tackled from behind.

"LUFFY!" a voice calls happily as her arms squeeze me tightly.

It doesn't take much guessing to know who it is.

"Hancock, what have I said about personal boundaries?" I choke out. Immediately, Hancock stops hugging me and jumps backward, giggling loudly.

"Sorry," she says softly. "I'm just a little excited!"  
"It's okay," I reply, taking a deep breath to start the blood circulation again, before turning to her with a look of confusion. "Wait? Why are you so excited?"

"We finished that project today!" Hancock shouts happily. "That's a pretty good reason to be excited right?"

I shrugged.

"I guess…"  
"I had a really good time with you yesterday," Hancock suddenly comments, her smile so wide it's almost stretching off her face.

"Er…yeah, me too," I admit. "It was a lot of fun."  
"We should definitely do it again sometime!" Hancock insists, once more latching onto my arm.

I'll give her this much, she's persistent in being friends with me again. Then again, I like people who are persistent. All of my friends are like that.

Zoro.

Robin.

Sanji.

Nami…

"Er, yeah we should definitely do it again sometime," I begin, gently easing my arm out of her grip "but right now, I really need to get going. People to see, things to do, you know what I mean."

Hancock's smile suddenly vanishes at my words.

"Sure…"

"But we should definitely hang out more!" I call back in the hopes of cheering her up. "I really enjoyed last night!"

Hancock smile returns once more at my shout and she waves me off.

"I enjoyed it too! I'll see you later Luffy!~"  
"Yeah…see ya…" I reply half-heartedly.

I'm not too focused on Hancock right now after all. It's my orange haired best friend that's captured my interest right now. I quickly turn back around hoping to see her walking alongside me.

"Shit." The simple word escapes my lips and I start running as quickly as I can through the crowd of students towards the exit.

Nami has disappeared.

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

Why?

Why did he have to say that?

Why for Oda's sakes did he have to say that?

The Nami we all know and love!

I understand Luffy isn't trying purposely to get on my nerves but I won't lie when I say that those words cut deep...or really, two of those words cut deep.

We and Love.

I wasn't even sure why either of the words are irritating me so much. There wasn't anything mean spirited about them and Luffy said that with his usual goofy smirk on…

His usual brilliant calming smile.

I sigh loudly and angrily, walking straight through the front exit to Dawn High. I started walking at triple speed the moment Luffy started speaking with Hancock. I don't understand why he's suddenly being friendly with her now all of a sudden. Maybe he…

I stopped in my footsteps.

Maybe he likes her…

Instantly, I shake my head.

No, that's impossible. This is Luffy! Even if Luffy ever really showed any interest in any girls, he definitely wouldn't be in love with some self-absorbed arrogant bitch…

…Right?

I force myself to nod along with my own thoughts, needing to convince myself that I'm right about Luffy. However, another question annoyingly clung to my mind.

"Why do I care?" I mumble out-loud.

I honestly didn't have an answer to that question. Why do I care who my best friend likes or what he does? Usopp, as much as I hate to admit it, was right when he said who Luffy talked too wasn't any of my business…

But for some reason, I feel like it is.

Luffy's always been my friend, that goofy little kid who always followed me around. Honestly, I'm not sure how we ended up so close. Makino once said that Luffy used to always tail me in the playground and drag me off on adventures. Bellemere, however, explained that little girls like 'mothering' little boys and apparently, I had chosen to mother Luffy. If that was true, then it looks like I never really stopped mothering him. He'd always been a little dopey and even though we're all in high school, he still seems to be a little slow on the uptake. We've always been there for each other though, catching the other if they should fall. He was my…

Friend…

WHY DID THAT WORD ANNOY ME SO MUCH?

Luffy IS my friend, so why am I so irritated when I call myself that?

I sigh loudly, slightly glad that I had this time to think by myself…

I'm not alone for long however.

Quickly, the sound of quick footsteps and frantic shouting cause me to realise I am being followed.

"Nami! Hey Nami!" I bit my lip, conflicted about what to do now that Luffy had tracked me down.

Would he be mad I walked away from him before? Should I stop and wait for him? Things are just far too confusing right now. My mind is running away with itself and I just can't think properly.

"Calm down Nami, calm down," I whisper as Luffy falls into step beside me.

I turn to look away as he pants loudly.

"Hey!"

"Hey…" I reply.

"What was that about?" My eyebrow rises.

"What was what about?"  
"You walking off there. I thought something had happened to you or something. I was worried…"

A small smile plays on my lips at Luffy's expressed concern. He's kind of cute when he's being all protective of his friends…

Cute…Friend…

"Sorry," I mutter shamefully. "I just…have to get going…I've…I've got a lot of homework to do."

I clenched my fist. It felt bad lying to Luffy but right now, I felt like I had to think about some things. First and foremost, I want to consider exactly what these new feelings about Luffy meant. The butterflies in my stomach become even worse when Luffy just smiles in understanding.

"Yeah, Professor Clover gave us that essay, didn't he?" Luffy groans, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Then, almost without warning, Luffy jumped over in front of my vision and grinned at me.

"Do you think we could work on it together?"

My initial shock at Luffy pushing his face in front of mine quickly disappears.

"Luffy, you have to do the essay on your own…"

"Yeah and I will."

Luffy catches me rolling my eyes and frowns at me.

"I will! I will!" he insists childishly. "I'll write it by myself...but I just wanted to see if you wanted to do it together. You said yourself that we haven't been hanging out too much recently, so I wanted to see if we could change that."

I barely hold back the sudden urge to give a large grin at Luffy's words. It has been too long since we last hung out…but…

"That's a sweet offer Luffy, really sweet."

It was.

"But I'd rather sort out things out on my own."

As Luffy's smile drops into a confused neutral expression, I feel a twinge of pain in my chest. It looks like I've completely crushed his hopes.

"It's okay," Luffy says, however. "We could hang out some other time then?"

I smile at the offer.

"I'd really like that."

Once more, Luffy's smile is back with a vengeance.

"Cool."  
"Luffy," I suddenly interrupt. "You do realise you don't live this way right?"

Instantly, Luffy stops walking and stares at me bemused. For a moment, he considers my words. He glances back over his shoulder, then back at me. He shrugs.

"Oops…"

I shake my head with a laugh.

"Monkey D. Luffy, when will you learn?" I ask mockingly.

Luffy pouts.

"Eventually," he mumbles, before turning around and heading back up the road. "I'll see you around sometime then. Okay Nami!?"

"Yeah, sure. See you around…" I mumble, watching Luffy bouncing off happily into the distance.

I sigh loudly as he waves back at me. Once more, my stomach is doing back flips.

"Luffy…" I find myself mumbling with a sigh. "What's happening to me?"

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

"MY SWEET CREATION! WHAT…"

"Not my fault," I speak up suddenly from where I sit before Bon can accuse me of defacing his 'baby'. "A guy with sharp pointy ninja stars ripped it up when he attacked me."

Bon turns around from studying my destroyed suit and gives me an odd look.

"It's true!" I shout loudly. "I don't seek out villains who use sharp objects!"

"Maybe not but the fact they keep coming after you is making my job harder," Bon mutters, examining the torn costume with a frown.

"Technically, this isn't a job. You volunteered to help fix my suits, remember?"  
"Ah yes, the romantic dream of the superhero,~" Bon swoons to himself. "Knowing that I can help you protect people in any way I can is just…AMAZING!"

"And make me look good doing it," I comment.

Bon grins.

"That goes without saying my friend. After all, no matter what you do, you have to do it…IN STYLE!~"

I laugh as Bon adopts a ballerina pose, twirling happily on his heel. That's one good thing about Bon. He always manages to put me in a good mood. It makes it easy to forget about that weird masked magnet man in that odd outfit with that freaky hover board from the other night…though admittedly, as much as I try, I can't quite manage to get the image of Monarch flying away into the night whilst I'm in free fall out of my head.

I think it's the first time I've ever let a villain get away. Even when Predator beat me, I had gone searching and found him quite easily again for a rematch. Monarch, however, seems to be playing things quiet for the moment. There's no mention of him in the paper. Heck, according to the Grand Line Times, nothing was even stolen from the warehouse. So why was Monarch there then if he wasn't going to take anything? Or did he just take something no-one would notice?

Of course, the fact that nothing was taken didn't stop Shiki from branding me a criminal. I grimace at the sight of the most recent copy of Grand Line Times sitting on Bon's desk. At the top of the page, in large black letters, the headline screams out 'SCARLET WIND STRIKES POLICE CAPTAIN: SMOKER UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT'. Bon seems to have noticed my irritation as he looks away from stitching my costume back up and gives me an awkward grin.

"Trust me, I only get that trash to keep up on recent events and read the comics," he explains with a laugh. "Those 'Adventures of Norland the Liar' strips are hilarious!"

I nod supposedly in agreement but honestly, I'm not too concerned with how funny the adventures of Norland are.

I'm more worried about Smoker. As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think I've seen the last of Smoker. If anything, my escape from his forces the other day is only going to make him more eager to capture me. Without meaning to, I had embarrassed him in front of his men and punched him in the face. If he wasn't entirely convinced I was a criminal before, then he's definitely got me at the top of his list now. Personal hatred tends to be stronger than duty after all but now, Smoker had both and that made him dangerous. I sigh loudly. Did someone just decide my life was going too easy? Because suddenly, it seems like the world is out to get me. The bad guys are getting meaner and nastier; the good guys are suddenly gunning for me and, even worse, Makino seems to have gone from being concerned for my well-being to being deeply afraid.

AND just to put the cherry on the cake, now Nami is acting weird. She was blanking me during lunch and lessons and when I tried to talk to her about it, she seemed angry…yet then she said she wasn't angry at me and then later on, she agreed we could hang out sometime. Shanks said that women were one of life's great mysteries and I've never understood that until today. Maybe she was just thinking like she said. I hope she starts acting normal again soon. If my life has to keep getting crazier, then I'd rather at least Nami stayed the same. I really couldn't imagine my life without her.

"Nami…"  
"Did you say something Scarlet?"

I almost fall off the chair as Bon calls over but quickly grab hold of a nearby table. Suddenly, I feel pain shoot out from my shoulder and wince. Of course, it's the wound on my shoulder from last night. I should really not be moving my arms so quickly.

"Scarlet?" Bon asks in concern, walking over.

I grit my teeth and grip my shoulder, forcing a smile to my face.

"I'm fine, just…"

Bon doesn't listen, however, quickly racing over.

"What's wrong?" he questions.

"Nothing," I reply as Bon fights to get a good luck at my shoulder. "Get off!"

Despite my protests, Bon succeeds in pulling back my hoodie enough to spot the soft patch of crimson. Spotting the deep shuriken wound on my arm, Bon's expressions morphs into one of concern.

"Scarlet, you're really hurt."

"Tell me something I don't know," I growl, pulling my hoodie back into place.

"That looks serious though," Bon comments with a sigh. "You might want to see a doctor about that."

Me? See a doctor?

"Yeah, that'll go over well," I mutter, before adopting a polite tone. "Hello good sir, could you please stitch me up? I was in this fight with this nefarious super villain you see and he cut me across the shoulder. Of course I'd be happy to give you all my personal details!"

Bon is not amused by my sarcasm.

"I'm just saying you need to get yourself fixed up," Bon explains with a sigh. "If you tally up enough of those kinds of hits, you're not going to be around for much longer."

"I'm fine," I reply, holding up my hands in defence.

I wince as my shoulder aches. Bon gives me a pained look.

"Scarlet, fine is not the same as good."  
"I can't go to a doctor and get this thing checked," I assert, pointing to the scratch on my shoulder. "I've got a secret identity to think of! Besides, I heal quick.

"Not quick enough," Bon notes. "Your wounds from your fight with Predator aren't going away too quickly. You are healing faster than the average person, I'll give you that, but at this rate, you're going to kill yourself."

"Well, could you stitch me up then?"

Bon seems panicked by the suggestion.

"What? Stitch up your injuries?"  
"Yeah, you stitch up stuff all the time!" I argue, pointing to a series of dresses resting on the worktop. "Look!"

Bon sighs.

"Skin is a lot different from fabric my friend. I'm afraid if I messed with it I'd make it…worse…"  
"I've got a giant bloody scar on my left shoulder," I comment with a grimace. "Exactly HOW could this be any worse?"

"I don't know, I'm not a doctor!" Bon shouts back. "Which is my exact reasoning for why I shouldn't be stitching you up, I'm not qualified. Isn't there anyone you could possibly go to get 'off the books' medical aid?"

An image of Chopper's dad instantly pops into my mind and I quickly shake my head.

I'd rather take my chances than have Hiriluk try another one of his 'unique' cure methods on it.

"Nope, there's no-one I trust like I trust you."

"AH!~ Such words of comradery my friend!~" Bon swoons, pirouetting happily.

I hold back a laugh as he spins.

"So come on, you design the clothes I wear, why not stylise my skin?" I question.

Bon finally turns serious once again and shoots me a concerned look.

"If you're not going to see a doctor on your own then as your fashion consultant and your friend, I guess I have no choice but to help," Bon says with a frustrated growl. "After all, blood is definitely not chic."

I don't even know what chic means but I trust Bon and just nod along with his comment.

"Alright then," I mutter. "How do you want to do this then?"

Bon stares at me for a second before sighing.

"You're really up for this, huh?" he sighs. "Alright then, strip off your top and lie on your back. I'll see what I can do to patch you up"

"Thanks Bon," I call happily, already beginning to tug off my hoodie "I owe you one!"

"I'm sure you owe me more than that," Bon corrects but the smile on his face shows the comment has no ill intent. As I pull my hoodie over my head, it rubs against the wound on the back of my shoulder and I wince. Those ninja stars hurt like hell. Hopefully, I can get some rest tonight without any more super villains causing trouble.

I mean, considering all the crap that's been going on recently, how the heck could things get worse?

* * *

_**Usopp P.O.V**_

The walk back home from Dawn high school was fairly boring. Usually, I'd try and walk back home with Luffy seeing as we lived fairly close to one another but recently, Luffy seems to be avoiding walking home. I've barely seen the guy since the start of last summer and now we've gotten back to school, we seem to see each other even less. It's like he has a secret double life that none of us know about.

With a sigh, I climb the steps towards my house, rubbing my long hair with a free hand. Today had been a long day. Pell set us a pop quiz on everything we'd read about Frankenstein and considering I wasn't even sure what the guy who made Frankenstein was called, I probably failed that horribly. Beckman also had this huge lecture prepared that we had to take notes for. Seriously, I think my writing hand is pretty much dead now. I could really do with a nice nap now.

With a yawn, I stick my house key into the front door, unlock it and then yank it open.

"Hey Mum, hey Dad!" I call as I walk inside "I'm home."

I can't help but jump as a mysterious figure suddenly dashes out of the kitchen and grabs me in a massive bear hug.

"Well, here's my favourite nephew now! How are you doing Usoppun!?" my eyes open at the familiar voice and I push myself away from my uncle's large belly.

"Uncle Heracles!"

"Usoppun! It is good to see you again!" he yells happily, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"What are you doing here?" I ask with a laugh of joy.

Uncle Heracles rarely visits us!

No, wait, scratch that, he NEVER visits us!

Now that I think about it, this is the first time he's ever visited us since the move, which is sad because him and me were always close when I was a kid. Uncle Heracles was just a barrel of laughs and he could instantly make you feel better about yourself. However, that was before he got sent away on business.

You see, Heracles, he's a scientist.

YEAH! I KNOW A REAL SCIENTIST!

And a good one too!

Apparently, the reason he left was because he was chosen for this super secret experiment (which isn't really that super secret because apparently, nothing stopped Uncle Heracles from telling us that was why he was leaving). However, he did leave out the details of his secret experiment and when we tried asking, he was adamant about telling us anything.

But now he's back!

"Well, I got some leave time and thought I'd have a little tour of the country," Heracles explains "Then, I remembered as I was passing through Jaya that my favourite nephew and my only sister lived here, so I thought I'd come and check on you guys, make sure you've not been getting into any trouble."

I can't help but smile at his explanation. Between Kaya's latest crush and Luffy's recent aloofness, I really need something like this to make me laugh.

"Dad, why didn't you tell me Uncle Heracles was coming round?" I suddenly ask, snapping my head around the table.

Dad laughs as he takes a sip of coffee.

"I'm not physic you know, I didn't know he was going to be here until I opened the door and he almost crushed my lung with a bear hug. Besides, I thought you specifically told me that you didn't want me to drive you home after school, something about your old man being 'embarrassing' and 'ruining your street cred'."

I roll my eyes.

"You try to get some independence and they hold it against you for life," I mutter so only Heracles can hear.

He gives a small smile of understanding.

"It's what parents do," he murmurs softly in reply.

"Usopp, the door!" Mum shouts, peeking her head round the corner.

Quickly, I glance round, my eyes finally meeting with the sight of the still open door. I shut it and I hear a soft sigh of gratitude from my mum.

"Dinner will be ready soon," she says. "Usopp honey, do you mind helping carry Heracles stuff up to our room so it's out of the way?"

I look down and sure enough, about four large duffle bags and one neatly shaped suitcase are sitting in the the way of the stairs.

"It appears he wanted to bring the whole office back with him," Dad calls in agreement.

Uncle Heracles gives a light hearted chuckle in reply.

"Let the boy rest, he's just got in from school," he argues.

I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't mind."

Slowly, I bend over and reach for the nearest item to me. My fingers barely touch against the handle of the suitcase, before Uncle Heracles suddenly snatches it out of my hand. I glance up at him in confusion, only to be met with a serious stare. I shake under my uncle's gaze but soon, it softens.

"Thanks for the help Usoppun," he says in a low voice. "Some of this stuff is just very important, work related. You understand, right?"

I didn't actually understand completely why Heracles had suddenly snapped but never the less, I nod my head. Immediately, Heracles starts to smile.

"Good, then let's take this stuff upstairs."

I didn't say anything in response.

* * *

It took three trips to get all of my uncle's stuff up into a corner of my mum and dad's room. As I dragged the last bag in, Heracles was inspecting the insides of his suitcase. Sadly, he opened it with the lid facing me so I couldn't look inside and tell what was there. The moment I stepped inside the room, he pushed the lid down on the suitcase and smiled at me.

"We all good here Usoppun?"  
"Yeah," I reply calmly, trying my best to forget about his sudden almost aggressive reaction to me grabbing the suitcase before.

"Good," he says with a smile. "Come on, we better get back down before your mother ends up shouting us."  
"Give me a sec, I need to chuck my bag in my room," I reply.

Heracles nods, placing the suitcase to one side and standing up off my parent's bed.

"I'll see you downstairs then, okay?"

As he passes in the doorway, he ruffles my hair and I push him off with a chuckle.

"Sure" I mutter.

Heracle's footsteps echo down the stairs before fading out into silence. For a moment, I stood where I was. My room was opposite my parent's room, so it was easy to just fling my bag inside…

But…

Slowly, I turned to look at the suitcase resting on my Uncle's bed…

I wonder what's in there…

Before I realise it, I'm walking into the room. When I finally realise what I'm doing, I'm already sitting on the bed with the suitcase in my lap. I blink. What the hell am I doing? This is my uncle's private work! It's what he's been working on for eight or so years now. Whatever it is, I should respect his decision and not want to look, despite my curiosity.

But then I look down and realise that the suitcase hasn't been closed properly. The latches that usually pin the case shut aren't applied and Uncle Heracles even forgot to lock it properly…

My fingers trembled.

"Don't do it" I heard myself whisper "Don't do it, you'll regret it, don't…"  
I flicked open the suitcase.

I was met with a truly odd sight indeed.

Inside, the suitcase was padded, protecting five small vials filled with a bright green liquid. Across each, someone had quickly scribbled two words in black marker on some sticky white paper.

Pop Green.

* * *

_**Third person P.O.V**_

"So…Doc, what are you going to do to me again?" the timid red nosed man finally spoke up.

Dr Vegapunk sighed loudly, fiddling with his thick rimmed glasses for a moment before turning to look at his latest test subject.  
"Well, Mr Palazzo, was it?"  
"Call me Buggy Doc," the red nosed man demanded with a grin. "Everyone else does!"  
"I see…" Vegapunk muttered calmly under his breath, once more flicking through the notes on the clipboard he was holding.

"Well…not really everyone calls it me. Some people call me big nose…or Rudolf…or…"

"Mr Palazzo!" Vegapunk interrupted, glaring at his latest test subject, whom he had quickly learned was in fact quite talkative, particularly about the things he hated, which to Vegapunk's knowledge currently included dairy products, someone named Shanks, a variety of TV shows, ducks and, of course, the Scarlet Wind.

Buggy clamped his mouth shut instantly.

"Well…my point is that my friends call me Buggy, Doc," he explained.

Vegapunk ignored Buggy's explanation.

They were certainly not friends.

"Mr Palazzo, you were offered to come here in order to obtain enhanced abilities or, if you're searching for a more simple explanation, you're going to be given super powers."  
"Like Galdino?" Buggy asked.

Vegapunk simply nodded.

"Not exactly the same thing of course, but you will be given special abilities to help you pursue your main objective."  
"Get rich quick?" Buggy's suggestion was shut down automatically as Vegapunk turned to glare at him.

"The complete destruction of the Scarlet Wind," the scientist growled.

He was losing patience quite quickly with this man. Buggy laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I knew that Doc, I was just pulling your leg."  
"Besides," Vegapunk suddenly spoke up, leaning in closer to Buggy's face. "If you do kill him…why then you can steal as much as you like, can't you?"

Buggy thought about this for a moment and then smiled.

"I see what you mean Doc," he shouted happily. "It looks like everything's coming up Buggy!"

"Indeed," the scientist mumbled, turning back to his notes.

"I mean, when Spanda' approached me with his flashy offer, there was no way I could…"

"I will give you a moment to compose yourself," Vegapunk announced standing up from his seat. "When I return, I want you to be prepared for the procedure to begin."  
"Sure thing Doc," Buggy announced with a salute.

"Strip to your waist," Vegapunk called as he pulled the door open. "I'll be back soon."  
"…Er…is that necessary Doc?" Buggy shouted after him.

"Why of course," Vegapunk replied, turning to face Buggy with a grin. "How else am I supposed to judge the effects of my highly volatile and dangerous chemicals if I can't see what they do to you!?"

Buggy nodded for a second but instantly faltered.

"…Dangerous?"

Vegapunk had already closed the door, however, and as he exited the room, it clicked to show it was locked. Vegapunk quickly straightened his lab coat and began walking. Swiftly, he climbed the clean white stairs until he eventually reached the observation platform.

"How's it going in there Doc?" a familiar voice asked him.

Vegapunk smiled.

"Good, I suppose," he mumbled, before turning to face Spandam. "I'm not sure how effective he'll be against Scarlet though…"  
"And why is that?"  
"He's an absolute moron," Vegapunk explained with a sigh.

"So was Galdino," Spandam argued.

Vegapunk shook his head.

"Galdino was a coward. Cowards underestimate themselves. That is more fear than stupidity," Vegapunk said. "True stupidity, however, is to have no fear, to charge boldly into the face of danger without a simple consideration for how out of depth a person is. That defines Mr Palazzo rather nicely."

"The guy is still suitable for your experiments though, right?" Spandam spoke up, still looking at the nervous Buggy through the two way mirror.

"Definitely," Vegapunk mumbled, once more reviewing his charts. "Beggars can't be choosers and despite his less than healthy lifestyle, I believe that he will be a suitable lab rat. He merely needs some guidance."

As if to illustrate this, Vegapunk suddenly grabbed a small microphone from nearby and activated it with a simple flick of the button.

"Mr Palazzo. When I said I wanted you to strip to your waist, I meant the top half."

A groan of acknowledgement was made from behind the glass. Vegapunk shook his head.

"Honestly, sometimes I wonder where you find these people."  
"Wherever we can," Spandam responded simply. "I'm not sure whether or not you've noticed Doc but people aren't exactly lining up to become freaks."

"Now that my dear Spandam is where you are mistaken…"

Spandam gave Vegapunk an odd look but refused to comment on what he meant by the statement. At that instant, Vegapunk's coat pocket vibrated. The scientist glanced down with uncertainty.

"My apologies Spandam, I have to take this."

Spandam's eyes widened.

"E-excuse me?"

"Your ears still function quite well do they not?" Vegapunk retorted, casting the man a sly grin. "I said I need to take this call. Do you mind waiting here for a moment?"

Spandam looked confused by the request but nodded.

"Fine, just hurry up. Mr Zero…"  
"Wants this fine man made into an opponent for the Scarlet Wind, I am well aware," Vegapunk interrupted. "And I will do my best to prepare him for the role of such. However, I do have something I need to attend to. I shall return soon."

And with that, Vegapunk left the main lab and Spandam behind him. Once outside, Vegapunk let out a small sigh and plucked the phone from his pocket.

"Hello?"  
"I got your message," the voice on the other end of the phone responded.

Vegapunk smiled.

This man was very too the point. He liked that.

"Good and what are your thoughts?"  
"You're bat shit crazy doc," Vegapunk laughed.

"Perhaps," he admitted.

For a moment more, there was silence over the line.

"But…can you do it? Can you really do it?" Vegapunk smiled. The tone of urgency and curiosity in the man's voice implied that he had found his latest test subject.

"I believe so. After the last few…errors in my plans," Vegapunk muttered the final few words in disgust, before once more adopting his usual jovial voice. "I have decided that I need to take a different approach. After all, the Scarlet Wind is indeed powerful…but as the old proverb says 'fight fire with fire'" the voice on the other side of the line was silent.

"…What?" Vegapunk rolled his eyes.

Uncultured youths.

"Never mind," Vegapunk pressed on with a smile. "The point is that, in theory, I should be able to find a way to replicate the Scarlet Wind's powers that allow him to manipulate his body."  
"In other words, I get super powers," the voice chuckled loudly "but…why would you tell me about this?"  
"To further expand the horizons of science," Vegapunk responded simply. "Plus, you and I share a common goal. The destruction of one crimson wearing costumed calamity. It is a problem I believe you share with Mr Zero"

A growl was the reply that greeted Vegapunk's ear.

"Bastard. Guy thinks he runs the whole town."  
"To be fair, he does," Vegapunk admitted with a shrug. "But, think about this. If you were to take this operation, gain similar abilities to Scarlet AND then best him in combat…why, think of what that would mean for you? He is becoming quite the thorn in Mr Zero's side and defeating something even Mr Zero has failed to deal with will make other gang leaders rally to your cause. You could become the next big crime lord my friend."

Laughter echoed down the phone and Vegapunk knew he had won. The ambitious and avaricious were easily manipulated pawns and Vegapunk knew that better than anyone.

"Tell me Mr Hyena, would you like to help me bring down the Scarlet Wind?" the scientist asked.

On the other side of the line, Bellamy grinned.

"Yes. Yes I would."

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 2**_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	14. Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 2

_**Wow, it's been SO freaking long since I last updated anything on here. Guess that shows how time flies when you're having fun. Anyway, it's summer time and that means that with less of a workload on my back, I should be able to update a few stories here and there for your viewing pleasure (including the big one that everyone has been waiting over a year for...)**_

_**Anyway, back on topic, let's get this latest chapter rolling since I've kept you all waiting for it long enough.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 2**_

_**Nami P.O.V**_

The door to my house loomed up out of the darkening night like a lighthouse against a stormy sea. It had taken longer that I expected to walk back home and winter was definitely closing in, considering the cold breeze and how dark it was getting. With a sigh, I push open the front gate and calmly stroll towards the front door. Plucking my key from my pocket, I glance to my right and realise that the lights are on in the front room.

That's weird. Neither Bellemere nor Nojiko should be home yet, so why are the lights on? With soft slow footsteps, I creep towards the front door and test to see if it's unlocked. It is, furthering my confusion. The light being on in the front room? The door being open? Did someone break in? Have we been robbed? Maybe…

'Hey Nami, is that you?' Genzo's voice instantly breaks me out of my panic. Really? Someone breaking into our house? I've been hanging around with Usopp too much, his stories are starting to rub off on me.

'Yeah Genzo, it's me,' I call, stepping inside and slamming the door shut afterwards.

'Ah, good. I'm in the kitchen,' Genzo shouts. I nod in response and head over to his voice. I can't believe I forgot about Genzo being here. That was the whole reason why Bellemere wanted us to have dinner with her and Genzo yesterday.

The two have been friends for a long time, Genzo being a father figure to me and Nojiko when we were children, but last year, Makino managed to hook the two up on a blind date. Considering Bellemere was interested in testing their relationship and Genzo had always had a huge crush on her, the two decided to play along with Makino's scheme…and the result is that yesterday, Bellemere told us Genzo was moving in with her and by extension, us.

It was quite strange really. Not so much the two moving in together, oh that was a given: they were perfect for each other, I and Nojiko could always see it. Before they'd even gotten together, they'd been acting like a married couple anyway, dating just kind of sealed the deal. What really surprised me though was that they'd taken this long to do it. Most nights Genzo was round here anyway, only sleeping at his apartment in order to stay close to his job.

Naturally, despite Genzo and Bellemere being worried how we'd receive the news, I and Nojiko took it in our stride…though Nojiko did make sure to hint quite heavily that she wanted a lot of younger siblings to look after.

That's my sister though. Subtlety was never her strong point.

Inside the kitchen, Genzo already appears busy at work. He seems so in his element I'm surprised he isn't usually working as a chef instead of a private hired security guard. The omelette he's tending to looks almost cooked and the flames are dancing happily under the pan.

'So how was school?' he calls, not taking his eyes away from the food.

'Exhausting,' I respond, flinging my bag over a chair, before sitting down on it myself. I prop my arms up on the table and rest my chin in my hands.

'How was your day?'

'Only just got up,' Genzo concedes with a grin. 'I'm taking night shifts in watching over Flamingo Industries for the rest of the week. Apparently, the boss is worried after a break in that happened earlier.' My inner reporter bubbles to the surface.

'A break in?' I mumble, an eyebrow raising at his words. 'From who?'

'Don't know and I don't fancy finding out thank you very much.' Finishing his cooking, Genzo turns around with pan in hand…and I instantly double over in laughter. Over Genzo's dark security guard attire, the scarred man with a stern glare…is wearing a bright pink apron reading 'KISS THE CHEF'. At my laughter, Genzo looks down and shoots me a smile.

'What? Bellemere said pink was my colour,' he jokes.

'It does bring out the colour in your eyes,' I agree through my giggles. Genzo laughs in reply as he walks over towards the counter where a nearby plate is resting. Genzo grabs a spatula and uses it to scoop the omelette out of the pan and onto the plate…before placing the plate in front of me.

'Hang on a second,' I start, looking down at the plate in confusion. 'I thought this was yours.'

'I've already ate,' Genzo explains with a grin. 'Figured you'd be hungry when you came in, so I made you some food…with your favourite addition of course.' Leaning forwards, I sniff in the omelette's beautiful aroma. Hmmm, orange sauce. Genzo knows me too well.

'Thanks,' I say with a smile, before grabbing the knife and fork Genzo brought over and tucking in. Genzo sits opposite me with a cup of coffee in hand and laughs as I start eating.

'You know, despite how you're now a young woman, I always see the gleeful five year old you sitting there when you eat oranges,' he comments. 'It's the same way when you talk about that black haired boy...' I almost choke on the omelette I'm eating. Genzo continues on regardless. 'What was his name again?...Makino and Shanks' boy, the youngest with the cheeky grin and the…'

'Luffy,' I grunt out, suddenly having lost my appetite. Genzo stares at me in confusion.

'Something the matter?'

'Nope,' I lie, forcing myself to eat once more. I'd had enough of Luffy recently to last me a life-time. Always disappearing and making me worry, always being so stupid with his words and making me feel strange…hanging out with Hancock when he should have been hanging out with…

I shake my head.

Why was I getting so bent out of shape over that boy recently?

'So Nami, do you have any plans on Friday?'

I give Genzo an odd look as he poses the question.

'Not really, why would you ask?'

'Because I've got an offer for you,' Genzo explains. His sly grin instantly makes me sit up.

'What do you mean?'

'Well, you've been working hard and doing well at school so I was wondering…if you'd like these…' Genzo reaches his hand from under the table and produces a pair of tickets. I slip the tickets off the table and into my hand and give both a good look. My eyes grow wide and my mouth flaps open as I examine the tickets and I shake my head in disbelief.

'These…these are t-tickets to see Soul King Brook live in concert tomorrow night at Dawn Stadium!' I announce, glancing up at Genzo's mischievous grin. 'But how…'

'I was planning on taking Bellemere but considering we're both working tomorrow, I thought it'd give them to you. You could catch a bus and go there straight after school.' A small smile comes to my lips as the pieces fit together.

'Leaving you and Bellemere tantalizingly free of company for an afternoon of 'hi-jinks'? Considering Nojiko is going to be going out with her friends after work, I mean.' Having been found out, Genzo chuckles to himself, scratching his moustache.

'Come on, those tickets are some good seats…plus there's two, so you might be able to take someone else with you, maybe that Luffy boy…'

'He's not my boyfriend!' I counter, glaring at Genzo. The man's eyes bug out for a moment before another sly grin comes to his cheeks.

'Woah, hold on there, I didn't say anything about him being your boyfriend,' he points out. I waft away Genzo's words with my free hand before focusing on the issue once more.

'So I go to see the Soul King in concert, letting you and Bellemere have valuable alone time and you'll give me…' Genzo's face morphed into one of perplexed confusion.

'Er…a rich and fulfilled sense of self-worth at having helped your mother and I have a loving tender moment to ourselves, plus tickets to see the world's greatest singer live in concert?' Genzo suggests. I smile. Normally, that would definitely be enough to seal the deal, considering Brook's vocal talents were absolutely incredible…but I was ever the haggler.

'How about spending money for merchandise and a donation to my shopping spree with the girls on our next outing?' Genzo pales at the suggestion.

'Are you kidding me girl? Do you think I'm made of money?' I smirk at this reply and turn away.

'That's a shame. You know, I might just come straight home and sit around with you and Bellemere. Maybe even come home early too…'

'Alright, I'll pay for your dinner before the concert but that's it.'

'Make it mine and Luffy's meal and you've got a deal.'

'Fine deal,' Genzo finishes, wiping some sweat from his brow before taking another well-earned sip of his coffee. 'You know, it's really hard to do nice things for you when you're such a gold digger…'

'Love you too daddy!~' I call as I stand up from the table and begin to dash upstairs, tickets in hand and a smile on my face. Genzo laughs as I go but I can't tell whether it's from joy or from the pain he's feeling in his wallet. He clearly forgot how much Luffy can possibly eat…

I slow down on the stairs as I reach my room and close my eyes in thought. Luffy. Was I serious about this idea of taking him to go with me on the concert? Genzo had obviously said it as a simple suggestion or a joke but I had simply run with the idea. Did I want Luffy to go with me on something like this? I mean, asking someone to go see the Soul King Live in concert with you just as a pair seemed…well, a lot more out of friendship territory than usual.

'Does it really?' a voice in my mind asks, as I fling open my bedroom door. 'I mean, let's say you were taking anyone else with you: like Robin or a better case Usopp or Sanji? Would you have thought twice about it being 'a couple activity'?' The answer appears disturbingly quickly as I flop down on my bed.

No. If I went alone with either of them, it would still be just me hanging out with one of my best friends…so why was it that when Luffy was included in the equation I suddenly started fussing about whether or not it counted as a date? Why would I consider going on a date with my best friend?

…

I suddenly stop thinking. I didn't want to know the answer.

'You're going to a bad place there Nami,' I think to myself. 'Keep falling any deeper into it and not only will you not be able to go back but you might ruin your friendship with that adorable idiot forever…'

With a small sigh, I refocus myself and boot up my laptop. Maybe I could just ask one of the girls to come with me to listen to Brook. That would easily be a way to avoid all this confusion.

I wonder if Bellemere ever had this problem with boys when she was a teenager.

* * *

_**Bellemere P.O.V**_

_From: Genzo_

_Just persuaded Nami and Nojiko 2 leave us alone 4 the afternoon. Hope u had a gud day sweetheart and Ill c u tomorrow._

_Received: 18:30_

I smile down at the phone and let out a small chuckle. Looks like my day tomorrow had suddenly gotten more interesting. I sigh with content to myself as I walk up the stairs and quickly text back.

_Reply_

_To: Genzo_

_Sounds good hun. Hope they didn't drag too much money out of you. See you tomorrow xx_

_Sent: 18:31_

As I open the door to the roof, a refreshing burst of cold air almost sweeps me off my feet. Walking out onto the rooftop, I glance around to check if anyone else is around. Luckily enough for me, the roof is vacant. Of course it is. No-one comes up to the roof but people desperate for a cig and Smoker is currently having a meeting with his squad, so that occupies at least two thirds of people who smoke at the station.

With no-one else around, I pluck a single cigarette from my shirt pocket and slip it into my mouth. A lighter from my pant's pocket does the rest and soon, I'm relieved to taste sweet nicotine once more. With that done, I make my way over to the rose up barriers around the edge of Dawn City's police HQ and take a seat. Removing the cigarette from my lips, I let out a simple puff of smoke and relax, looking down to the floor.

'So, what happened?' I smirk at the voice. There goes my relaxation.

'In the meeting? Sengoku's pissed,' I explain.

'Anything else new?'

'Garp and Smoker are pissed now too.'

'I said anything NEW.' I chuckle and glance at Scarlet. The costume superhero is perching on the wall right next to me where once there was nothing but air. He's sitting the opposite way round to me, his legs dangling over the abyss of the city streets below, where as mine tap against the roof.

'Lucky you, you've just been accused of murder,' I state, taking a refreshing drag from my cigarette.

'You don't believe that, do you?'

'Do you think I'd be still talking to you if I did?'

'Point taken,' Scarlet says with a nod. His momentary fear evaporates with ease.

'Even Garp didn't believe it and when forensic evidence went your way, I think I saw the old man actually smile.'

'Are we talking good smile or evil smile?' Scarlet asks. 'You never can tell with that man.' I laugh at his comment and he joins in too, fairly subdued however. It seems like something is on his mind.

'Any leads on that Monarch guy so far?' And there it is, the source of his frustration.

'None so far,' I reply. 'Everyone on the force thinks it's just a rumour but the throwing stars around the warehouse definitely show something's up. I'll try and keep you posted over the days to come.'

'Thanks,' Scarlet mutters but despite the intent of the word, it sounds bitter in the cold evening air.

'You do realise that you've made a grave enemy now though, right?' I ask suddenly, turning to look at Scarlet fully. 'Smoker's got you in his sights and the guy seems pretty obsessed with taking you down.'

'Why does everyone want to lock up the guy actually TRYING to save the city?' Scarlet groans.

'Something about what you did last summer…'

'I keep telling you, that was…'

'I know, I know,' I interrupt. 'You've changed. I understand that and I'm glad but not everyone else on the force is as understanding as me. All I'm saying is…you should try maybe laying down for a few days, staying below the radar and keeping Smoker off your back.' Scarlet nods slowly in a way that translates out to him saying 'Yeah right, that's going to happen never.'

'I'm serious Scarlet, you might want to consider staying out of the papers for a while,' I insist.

'And let super villains and crooks run a-muck? Sorry Bellemere, no can do,' Scarlet responds. I sigh to myself, puffing out a cloud of smoke into the sky. I give him a stern glare. That seems to weaken the boy's spirit.

'Alright then, I'll think about…tomorrow night.' I frown. He said tomorrow but I'd heard the word 'never'.

'Scarlet…'

'Tomorrow I promise.' It still sounded like a lie.

'If you're not going to listen to me, why on earth did you want to meet up?' I mutter under my breath.

'Can't we just have a nice relaxing talk?' Scarlet asks. He sounds as defensive as if I had just accused him of another crime. Seeing his passion on the subject, I give a nod.

'Of course, I'm always here if you need me.'

'Thanks…you're alright partner.'

'Partner?' I mumble with a chuckle. 'That's something I haven't been called in a long time.'

'But we are though, right? You and me, together fighting crime,' Scarlet continues with a grin. 'We're like…Batman and Commissioner Gordon.'

'Except you don't speak like you're gargling marbles,' I reply with a smirk.

'**And you don't have a hairy rat on your upper lip,**' Scarlet taunts in a raspy low voice. I chuckle at the voice and so does he. A small moment of silence lingers between the two of us.

'I need to get going,' Scarlet says after a while. 'I've got three different schedules to keep after all and I can't be saving little Timmy from being trapped down a well whilst I'm sitting here.' In an instant, all of Scarlet's humorous bravado is gone, however and he casts me a look of understanding. In his eyes, sparkling as bright as the night sky, is trust. 'Thanks again.'

'No problem kiddo. Now make sure to get your life straightened out. Just take things slow over this weekend and try and relax. It's been great working with you so far. Hopefully we'll be able to keep this 'partnership' going for many years to come…'

Silence is my answer. Turning around, I see that Scarlet's spot is empty. I chuckle to myself.

'Like Batman indeed.'

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

'It's a very tempting idea Nami…but I promised Zoro we would do some homework together tonight and since his uncle is out of town for the weekend, he's going to need someone capable to cook for him.'

Robin just loves making my plans difficult, doesn't she?

'Look Robin, it's just for one night, it's the chance of a lifetime,' I reason. 'I mean, couldn't Zoro look after himself for one night without having someone hold his hand?'

Robin raises an eyebrow.

Nothing needs to be said.

I slump back down on my seat and let out a sigh. The two of us had managed to steal a pair of desks at the back of the class to have our private conversation and now all my efforts seem for naught.

'Okay, I get it. So, there's no way you can ditch moss-head and come with me to hear the Soul King play? I actually feel sorry for you.'

'Zoro's company is not that unbearable,' Robin comments in her usual aloof manner.

'Oh yeah,' I mutter. 'And pigs just learned how to grow wings and fly.'

'You know Nami, I'm actually quite surprised you asked me to come with you,' Robin reveals. Her attempt at switching the topic works completely and I turn to her with wide eyes.

'Oh really?'

'Yes,' Robin replies, that usual knowing grin slipping onto her face. 'If anything, I thought you'd ask Luffy first.'

Ba-bom!

There it was again, the beating. Thank you Robin, it wasn't like I'd been having heart problems as of late anyway.

'I didn't think it'd be his sort of thing,' I lie, terribly apparently considering Robin is still staring at me with her smile.

'Really? Because I remember him showing off quite a few musical talents a few days ago,' Robin says.

_'Why don't you and I get together?'_

Damn it Robin, just when I thought Luffy singing those words was going to leave my head.

'It doesn't matter,' I reply, not even bothering to argue her point. I didn't have the patience today. Robin seems to notice this and her expression softens.

'You know I'm not just teasing you for the sake of it,' she says.

'Then why are you?' I ask, glancing at her with misplaced anger.

'Because I've gotten bored waiting for you to figure it out.' I shake my head at Robin's words. Figure what out? What is she talking about?

'Excuse me.' The sudden voice causes both Robin and I to look upwards. I pale instantly. Hancock is towering over me, looming like a monster from some forgotten nightmare. Her face is as pale as starlight and her eyes a deep ocean of…absent malice? Well, that's a surprise. I was expecting Hancock to try and tackle me to the ground whenever she saw me…but now, she seems completely different. Almost sombre in demeanour.

'What do you want?' I ask and, surprisingly, the words don't come out as a bitter slur. Hancock seems somewhat thankful for this and gives me a smile.

'I wanted to talk with you...' She casts a glance in Robin's direction. 'Alone…' Robin didn't need to be told twice.

She quickly excused herself and stood up from the desk she and I were sitting it at to talk, making her way over towards the front of the class, where Johnny and Yosaku were both trying to arm-wrestle Zoro, who didn't even bat an eyelid at their strained faces. I watch her go and then turn back to Hancock.

'Er…okay then, what do you want to talk about?'

This feels WEIRD!

Usually, I and Hancock would be insulting each other and fighting like two dogs warring over the same bone. Now, however, we both seem…calmer. For one, my head was aching too much with the enigma of Luffy to be angry and Hancock, usually the warmonger, generally seemed to want to talk nice for a change.

'Well…' Hancock begins, only to lose her words under my gaze. 'I…er…what I mean to say is…'

'Spit it out,' I finally say with a shrug.

'I'm sorry.'

I blink.

'You…you're what?'

'I'm sorry,' Hancock repeated, giving me a sincere look of sorrow. 'About hurting you I mean, a while back. When I did it…I was just really jealous and stupid and I'm really sorry…'

I couldn't find the words to reply. I just stare at Hancock, gaping at her look some circus freak. I clear my throat and look her up and down, as if analysing if this were a joke or not.

'…Well…this is…'

'You're supposed to say apology accepted.' I blink once more. Well…that was even more shocking. First, Hancock actually apologies to me for something she's done (a logical impossibility at that) and then, just when for an instant I think she's not as mean as I first thought, WHAM! She's back to assuming she has the right to be forgiven immediately.

Never the less, I've got to admit, I'm tired of our little grudge. It's burned all of the energy out of me and so I just nod along with Hancock.

'Yeah…it's okay I guess…' I mumble. 'Where did this come from?' Hancock returns my quizzical stare.

'What do you mean?'

'Well...' Now I feel like the bitch. 'Well…you…you've never really…apologised about anything before to me…no offense. It just seems a little odd that you would just come over here and you'd suddenly say sorry…'

'Well, Luffy said it would be a good idea too…'

Instantly, my good mood shatters and my confused expression becomes a frown.

'Luffy told you to do this?'

'He mentioned it,' Hancock says innocently with a shrug. 'And I thought it was best I try and make friends with you, considering everything.'

'Considering everything?' I repeat with a raised eyebrow.

'Yeah, considering I'm Luffy's new girlfriend.'

The words smack me in the face like a bullet train whizzing past.

'I'm sorry?' I spit back, my eyes suddenly ablaze. Hancock barely seems to notice.

'Oh yes, didn't you hear? He took me out on a date a few days ago so we could finish our project. He was such a gentleman…'

Oh, she just did it. She pushed all my wrong buttons at once.

Firstly, her apology wasn't genuine. She hadn't apologised because she'd generally cared she had hurt me. If she had, I would have accepted. Heck, maybe I could have made peace with Hancock and we COULD have been friends…but no, that wasn't the case. She didn't care. She never cared about anyone but herself (as usual). She simply saw the apology a means to an end.

And secondly, the end she was aiming for. Luffy's girlfriend? AS FUCKING IF!

Suddenly, all my calmness vanishes along with my patience and self-control.

GOODBYE NOT CARING!

GOODBYE BEING TOO TIRED TO GET ANGRY!

HELLO PURE EMOTION NAMI!

'SAY WHAT?' I shout, perhaps louder than I intended to. Luckily, Johnny and Yosaku are being pretty loud themselves and their arm-wrestle with Zoro completely drowns out my cry. Hancock backs up at my shout, considering surprised by my sudden anger.

'You self entitled arrogant airhead!' I yelled, glaring her down. 'You REALLY need to work on your people skills next time you even think of delivering an apology that's even fucking TRYING to be HONEST!' Hancock's face flares up at my words and her stance changes instantly.

'Well what would you know of manners you orange haired banshee?'

'More than you do apparently snake bitch!' I bellow back. Oh, this was good. A return to form…and I NEEDED to get some frustration out.

'What did you call me you UGLY WHORE?'

'Oh and second thing: you being Luffy's girlfriend? You really think that? He was doing a PROJECT with you! He didn't take you out because he wanted to be on a date with you!'

Maybe he did…and maybe I'd just overstepped the bounds. Calling Hancock out on her fake apology was one thing…but this? This was just me exploding all of my pent up rage in Hancock's face. It wasn't fair, she hadn't actually done anything too wrong right?

And yet it felt right to shout in her face like this, to let out all my stress and suddenly, I feel myself fill with even more energy.

'You must be joking!' Hancock screams in reply. 'You think Luffy is in love with you instead, is that it?' I didn't reply to that.

'Hancock, Luffy is an IDIOT! He wouldn't know a date if it hit him round the back of his head!'

'You're lying!' Hancock shrieks, crimson rage spreading across her face.

'No, I'm not,' I reply, before looking over to Luffy. Like everyone else in the class, he seems unaware of our argument (either Johnny and Yosaku were really loud or I and Hancock had been talking a lot quieter than I thought) and is currently joking around with Chopper and Usopp.

He laughs and I feel my stomach bubbling.

'And I can prove it…'

Without even thinking, I move over towards Luffy. Determined, I march steadily forwards never faltering in my stride until I'm right next to him.

The instant I'm at Luffy's desk, I leap onto it at a side, interrupting him in mid-conversation with Usopp. One of my legs folds over the other and I place both of my hands on his desk as I lean towards him, turning on all my feminine charm.

'Hey Luffy,' I say, smiling as wide as I can and even offering a wink for good measure. Luffy looks stunned for a moment but then eventually returns it with a shudder…is that some red on his cheeks?

'Hey Nami, what's up?'

'I've got two tickets to see Soul King Brook tonight live at the Dawn City Stadium,' I announce happily. This seems to grab everyone's attention. Even Zoro stops and looks up at me…before slamming Yosaku and Johnny's hands onto the table. Hancock, in particular, is looking like she's just seen a ghost.

'The Soul King?' a whisper goes out through the class.

'Is she for real?' another murmur wonders aloud.

Luffy's reaction, thankfully, is much more vocal. He smiles and his cheeks stretch out as he beams. The bubbling in my stomach is back but somehow I ignore it. This is more important.

'WOW! YOU'VE GOT TICKETS TO SEE BROOK! HE'S AWESOME!'

I swear I can hear Robin giggling over my shoulder.

'Yeah,' I confirm with a smile, producing one of the tickets out of thin air and holding it out to him. 'You want to come with?'

Luffy didn't need to say a word. His face tells me everything he's thinking.

First, he looks confused, probably analysing whether or not this is a joke or something like that. Then, the confusion gives way to a happy curl of his lips.

…Seeing as it is Luffy though, he did speak anyway…

'REALLY? YOU MEAN IT?' he asks and without waiting for a reply, he stands up and lunges straight at me, enveloping me in a huge hug. 'OH THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!' And suddenly, my heart sounds like it's ready to burst. Wonderful...

In a split second, his enthusiasm drops however and he pulls back from the hug to give me a worried look.

'Though I've got quite a bit of homework to do…I'm not sure if…'

'You can do it over the weekend,' I reply. 'I promise I'll personally tutor you!'

That's all the encouragement Luffy seems to need and he smiles at me once more before hugging me again. With his arms around me, I suddenly feel like I could melt and be completely content as a puddle on the floor. Oh, what was is this boy doing to my head?

'NAMI! YOU'RE THE BEST!'

'That I am,' I agree with a cheeky grin. 'I'll meet you outside of class at the end of the day and we'll go straight there, catch a meal along the way, what do you say?'

'WHAT!? NAMI, THAT'D BE AWESOME!' Stars flash in Luffy's eyes and I know my work is done.

'See you then,' I finish, slipping off of his desk and going to sit at my own beside his. My legs suddenly turn to jelly but with the support of my arm on my desk, I manage to walk normally, even throwing in a little shake of my bum just in case Luffy chose to watch me walk away. Sitting down at my desk, I look up to Hancock at the back of the room and just smile the biggest grin I can.

I'm pretty sure if Beckman hadn't walked in at that exact moment and called form period to order, she would have killed me right then and there, with her bare hands if she needed to. I smirk however as she skulks off back to her own seat. Marigold and Sandersonia shoot me glares as well but at this point, I was too high on my own self-esteem to care.

I'd shown Hancock what's for and taught her she couldn't just manipulate people, especially Luffy. I had maybe gone a bit overboard but at that moment, I didn't care for that. Robin and Vivi give me looks of encouragement on the way past (for some reason) and when Sanji takes his seat, he hangs his head to the table, mumbling my name in a mournful tone, as if I've just died. Everyone else acts normally, taking their seats as gossip fills the air.

'About time,' I hear Zoro grumble as he focuses on Beckman addressing the class.

* * *

…A minute later, my brain finally catches up with my body and observes the car crash scenario I have just been involved in. I froze instantly and I feel my whole body tingle. My head feels like its floating and my stomach becomes a whirlpool of excitement.

I had just asked Monkey D. Luffy on a date.

I had asked my best friend out on a date…

I had…I HAD EVEN DONE THE SEXY BUTT WIGGLE! MY LIFE WAS OVER!

I hadn't meant for everything to seem like that. I had just wanted to prove Hancock wrong and all her words about her being Luffy's girlfriend ticked me off…they might have even annoyed me less than the whole fake apology thing. So I had shown her that Luffy never treated anything anyone said like a date…

By technically asking him on a date…

I could burst out crying right here and now in the middle of class. I feel so confused. Half of my head is screaming that I've done the right thing, the other half is screaming in agony. Because this was the smartest thing to do when I started getting mixed feelings regarding my best friend and wanted time to think so that I was sure how I felt about him…

ASK HIM OUT ON A DATE!

I put my head in my hands and let out a soft exhale of air.

Damn my stupid headstrong self…

Luffy...

No, I can still work with this. This was what I was telling Hancock. Luffy WOULDN'T know a date if it just wiggled its butt in his face! By all accounts, he'd probably think this was just a friendly thing. Yeah, I could work with that...

Oh, please don't let him think it was date.

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

I think Nami just asked me out on a date.

But it couldn't be because it was Nami...

But it sure sounded a lot like a date…

Then again, no girl had ever asked me on a date before except Hancock and she hadn't known anything about subtlety, so how do I really know what being asked out on a date is like? I didn't know!

…But, what I do know is Nami and I know that she was nice enough to let me go with her to watch the Soul King. It can't be denied that Brook makes magical music. I first heard some of his tracks when Makino bought an album of his greatest hits and started playing them in the kitchen as she cooked. Considering the kitchen was where the food was, I was usually around there too and the songs danced easily into my head and got stuck there.

I've been a fan of his songs ever since and apparently, so was everyone else in the class. Usopp was gesturing to me and Nami when she asked like I'd just pulled the holy grail out of my pocket and offered me a (half) playfully jealous glare.

At first, I had thought about turning Nami down. As much as I would have loved to go with her to see Brook, I had planned to do a patrol or two as Scarlet before turning in for an early night of studying…then Bellemere's words from yesterday starting ringing in my head.

The entire police force is more enraged than usual at my actions and Smoker is clearly ready to smash my face into the dirt. Maybe my presence out there tonight might cause more harm than good. I mean, with the police gunning for me, real criminals could easily slip through the net.

Besides, as I had pointed out yesterday myself, I and Nami haven't really spent much time together in a long time. Scarlet's had most of this week in the spotlight but tonight, I think it's about time to just be me and hang out with my best friend. That's what I had promised myself during the whole Predator incident, right? That I'd try and be a bit more balanced in the way I lived my life.

If I was going to stick to that and not fall into the same ditch I was stuck in at the start of the year, I need to start giving Luffy a chance to shine too, not just Scarlet.

Besides, what were the odds that on my day off something major's going to go down?

* * *

_**3**__**rd**__** person P.O.V**_

When the door finally opened, Bellamy was fuming impatiently.

'About time you got here doc! You arranged this little shindig and then you turn up late. I've been sitting here on this fucking cold as shit table topless for twenty minutes and you just…you…' The hyena bit back his complaints as he noticed the person strolling in. Sure enough, it was not in fact the doctor he had been waiting for.

Instead, walking steadily over towards him, was a woman with long light green hair. She was wearing a loose fitting lab coat and under it, Bellamy could tell she was wearing little more than a tube top.

'Hello there Mr Hyena,' she purred. 'My apologies for my master's tardiness he has been…indisposed. However, Doctor Vegapunk will now be ready to see you shortly.' Quickly, under the stare of this woman, Bellamy calmed down and offered her a flirtatious grin.

'Oh, no problem babe. I was just saying to myself how great this little lab of yours is.'

'Of course,' the woman responded with a knowing nod, as she moved to stand nearby the steel table in the middle of the room. 'Could you please lie down Mr Bellamy?'

'Wow, awfully forward, aren't we hot stuff?' Bellamy said, licking his lips as he walked closer to the woman. Somehow, her face remained blank at his comments.

'Lie down please Mr Bellamy,' she repeated and this time, Bellamy did do, muttering disappointed comments under his breath. Once he was lying down, the green haired woman nodded and walked around the table to retrieve some leather straps.

'Please remain as still as possible,' she said, grabbing the straps and beginning to restrain Bellamy down. The blonde offered her a grin as her hand trailed close to his groin.

'Tying me down first? You really are a kinky…' he began, only to be interrupted as the woman pulled the restraints around his stomach tight.

'Comfy?' the woman inquired, but Bellamy had a feeling she didn't really care about how he felt about this situation.

At that moment, the doors burst open. Though Bellamy couldn't see who had entered at first, he heard a loud laugh that echoed through the laboratory.

'SHOLOLOLOLO!~ Apologies Monet, I was caught in traffic.'

'I have prepared the subject for you master,' the woman replied, easily identifying herself to Bellamy as Monet.

'Ah, my dear you are a star!' the unseen man exclaimed, followed by his bizarre laugh. 'Well then, let's get a good luck at him then.' As the man finally came into view, leering his ugly face down at Bellamy, the Hyena felt a surge of terror run through him. The man didn't look anything like he had expected a renowned doctor to look like.

Of course, he was wearing a lab coat, on which the word "GAS" was spelt in bright red lettering but the yellow, black and orange striped leotard he wore under it made him resemble a circus attraction. His face was gaunt and pale as bone. His eyes were a deep gold and glowed with a hidden flame. Twin horns plunged out of the scientist's wild black head of hair whilst his untamed locks flowed outwards at all angles, trailing quite a way over his shoulders and down his back, framing his face like some disturbed artist's portrait.

The man smiled down at Bellamy, his lips tinged a horrific purple colour. Bellamy felt his heart stop as the man spoke.

'Greetings Bellamy the Hyena. I am Vegapunk.' The blonde gang leader couldn't speak for a moment, still taking in the good doctor's appearance. Finally, he found his voice, though it came out strained and confused.

'You don't sound like the guy I talked with on the phone,' Bellamy mumbled. Vegapunk simply grinned at him in reply.

'Of course, I was speaking to you through a voice filter to hide my identity. You can't trust anyone in this city. Besides, haven't you heard the phrase "the phone adds ten octaves"?'

'I'm pretty sure the phrase is "the camera adds ten pounds",' Bellamy muttered but once more, he was disregarded by the scientist.

'Now Monet my dear, remind me what MY latest concoction for this young man was.'

'A special super serum designed to mimic the elastic abilities of the Scarlet Wind,' Monet explained, handing the man a bizarre device that appeared to fit on the arm, like some odd glove. Coming off of the metal gauntlet was a large glass container filled with an odd golden liquid.

'Ah, of course,' Vegapunk responded…as if he had absolutely no idea what he was holding. 'I'll just clamp this sucker on then and we'll begin the procedure.'

'Excuse me sir,' Monet quickly spoke up, moving beside Vegapunk and whispering in his ear. 'In the notes on the serum, our…mutual friend seemed to express that the serum is a prototype. He believed he isolated the ability to manipulate one's own body in the manner that the Scarlet Wind does but he is unsure about the electrical voltage and added vitamins he put into the serum. Maybe it should be tested on an animal of some kind before…'

'My dear Monet, this IS the test!' Vegapunk cried, slapping the gauntlet onto Bellamy's arm. The mobster winced as he felt several tiny needles penetrating his skin. He looked at the gauntlet just in time to see the golden liquid disappear completely from the container.

Bellamy groaned as his entire arm began to burn. Quickly, the feeling began to spread throughout his body. First, he passed down to his fist, then it sprang up his arm and lingered in his chest before rebounding outwards to the rest of his body. Bellamy snapped his eyes shut as the burning spread upwards to his face and held in an urge to scream by biting his lip.

Monet backed away from the table, giving Bellamy a worried stare, whilst Vegapunk stood alongside her smirking. The strain within Bellamy's body soon spread through his head and finally, the man embraced the urge to shout.

'RRRRRAAAAAAGH!' Bellamy roared, kicking against his restrains with both his legs. Oddly enough, the restraints gave way almost too easily. The skin on the bottom of his ankles were both hurting now, aching as if they'd been shot with a bullet. Bellamy finally opened his eyes and once more, lashed out with his legs. This time, as he moved his skin began to bubble and shift.

His ankle began changing shape, curling around itself. Bellamy yelled once more as he felt the bones in his legs getting crushed as his body changed to its new shape. His wrists held a similar sensation in store for him as they began to curl into a new bizarre shape as well. Bellamy shrieked loudly and resumed writhing in agony. In this state, he could hardly hear what Monet and Vegapunk were talking about. Words flew in and out of his brain but none of them properly registered.

'Caesar, you could have handled this with more tact, don't you think?'

'Vegapunk told me to make him a Scarlet clone and that's what I'm doing.'

'You could have shown some caution to this. It looks like his own body is trying to reject the serum. Look, it's only his ankles and his wrists that have become elastic and even then, they're curling around uselessly. At this rate, he's going to die.'

'Such a shame…ah well, send in the next one.'

'There is no next one master. That's why Vega said to be careful with this one.'

'What? Why don't you mention this before?'

'I tried to sir but you just ignored…'

'Yeah, whatever. The point is I'm losing money here! Donflamingo would never pay us now that this experiment is a…'

At that moment, Bellamy suddenly came to his senses. In an instant, his burning body chilled to the temperature of an iceberg. The air around his curled joints crackled as they hardened in place, adopting a grey colour as the skin hardened. A sort of numbness spread from the nerves on his hand and his feet but apart from that, Bellamy suddenly felt fine.

Once more, Bellamy kicked out with both legs. The curled joints on his ankles absorbed the force of his kick and shot outwards suddenly like a spring. Bellamy's feet shot just past where Vegapunk's head had once been and smashed against some glass on the far side of the lab. Both Monet and the dark haired doctor turned to face the smashed glass in shock. After a brief pause, Vegapunk grinned.

'Or…this can work,' he commented with a loud laugh of 'SHOLOLOLOLO'. Monet turned back to face Bellamy, who was struggling against his restraints. As Bellamy's springs recoiled back into his body, the resulting force snapped the restraints of the man's legs.

Monet rushed to the man's side and quickly peeled him out of the restraints, refusing to let more equipment than necessary be destroyed by the test subject. Upon being released, Bellamy instantly sprung upwards off the table and looked to his spring like limbs.

'Wh-what the hell did you do to me?' he asked, eyes wide.

'We gave you elastic powers!' Vegapunk stated with a grin. 'I mean, it's true that they only manifested around four specific points on your body…but just look at the results! Those limbs are now harder than before and your punches and kicks pack a lot more punch. You don't look like you can swing from rooftops…but you look like you could lead tall buildings in a single bound. You're like a stronger version of our Scarlet terror.'

Bellamy grinned at Vegapunk's words and lashed out with a fist. The fist cracked the tile that it impacted with on the other side of the room, before bouncing off and knocking over some tools before snapping back to Bellamy's side.

'Stronger than the Scarlet Wind?' Bellamy murmured, flexing his arm and hand. 'I like it!' Monet, however, was far less pleased with Bellamy's actions as she began scooping up tools off the floor.

'You might want to work on the ricochet there,' she commented with a sigh. 'We wouldn't want you breaking anything in here.'

'Ricochet, huh?' Bellamy mumbled to himself. The word seemed to resonate with him. 'Yeah, Ricochet. I like that, sounds cool! Think I'll make it my new name. All the best super powered beings have names right? Scarlet's got his, Ricochet will be mine!'

'Were you even paying attention to what I was saying?' Monet muttered dejectedly to herself.

'Just ignore her,' Vegapunk muttered, looping his arm around Bellamy's shoulder. 'So then Ricochet, now that I've given you the power of a god, what's your plan on taking down the Scarlet Wind?' Bellamy looked to Vegapunk and grinned.

'If I see the bastard, I'm gonna kick his ass.'

Vegapunk barely managed to contain himself from sighing.

'Such a great tactical plan of genius,' he said through gritted teeth. 'I, however, have another…suggestion, if you're willing to listen?'

'Go on then Doc, what's your big idea then?' Bellamy growled, looking over to the dark haired man in confusion.

'Easy. You want to take over this city's underworld right? Then you need to take down Scarlet first but to take down Scarlet, you have to find him…so the first step is getting his attention.'

'Getting that Scarlet freak's attention, huh?' Bellamy muttered.

'Yes, you should do something to provoke him like…rob a bank or steal candy from a baby or…something big and public to get his attention.'

Bellamy pondered on Vegapunk's words for a moment before allowing a smirk to pass onto his face.

'Somewhere big and public to get his attention?' he repeated with a grin, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a flier from his pocket. The words "SOUL KING" whispered soothingly up to him from the paper. 'I think I've got just the place in mind…'

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 3**_

_**Until then, I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	15. Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 3

_**What's this? Two updates in one day! Oh, I love spoiling you my loyal viewers…you know, when I'm not on my long delayed periods where updates vanish completely.**_

_**I know this is probably not the right "wind" that needs updating but trust me, a new chapter of that is in the works and I should finish it…at some point.**_

_**Until then, I hope you all enjoy this chapter of the Scarlet Wind.**_

_**What horrors await Luffy/Scarlet in this instalment?**_

_**Which new super villain will be unveiled?**_

_**Will Nami ever admit its actually a date?**_

_**Will Shadow ever shut up and let you simply read the chapter?**_

_**Find out the answer to these questions and more…right now.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 3**_

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

As the bell rings, I leap out of my seat, almost knocking my desk over.

'ALRIGHT!' I cry with a laugh. The whole class turns to glare at me, well aware of my upcoming night with Nami and the greatest musician who ever lived. Pell chuckles, giving me a questioning look.

'Well Luffy, I didn't know you were so passionate about Shakespeare,' he said, gesturing to the unit lists he wrote up on the board for the next semester. 'Perhaps you could consider taking a role in the try-outs for the school play next month if you're so enthusiastic on the subject.'

My face pales and the whole class bursts out in laughter at my obvious fumble.

'Yeah, I'll think about it Pell, sorry,' I respond, rubbing the back of my head. Pell nods, understanding I've learnt my lesson and looks to the rest of the class. 'Alright, you're all dismissed then. Make sure to look through your book of Sonnets over the weekend and remember that your coursework on Gothic literature is due in next month as well. It'd be best to get an early start on it.'

Pell's word reach few people in the class as the students begin racing to freedom. Slipping my books roughly into my bag, I spin to my side and grin at my orange haired classmate. Nami looks back at me, giving me a small smile.

'Ready to go then?' she asks, her voice surprisingly quiet.

'You know it,' I reply with a chuckle. 'Thanks again for inviting me out like this. It's gonna be awesome chilling together. We haven't done it in ages.'

'Yeah…' Nami murmurs. Her smile is still there but something seems wrong. Her face is bright red and her breathing seems heavy. I frown at her.

'Nami, are you…' I start to ask, only for two firm hands to clamp down on my shoulders.

'There's our best friend in the whole wide world!' Sanji shouts far too enthusiastically, slapping me on the back as hard as he can.

'You don't mind if we borrow him, do you Nami?' Zoro asks with a completely out of character smile.

'We need to exchange answers for the maths test on Monday,' Usopp adds, popping up beside the two and joining in their freaky behaviour. Even Chopper appears from underneath my long nosed friend and gives me a similar smirk.

My eyebrow raises at this. Answers from me? But Sanji and Usopp always call me an idiot and Zoro's not the kind of guy who asks for help on this sort of thing. Plus, Chopper's a freaking child genius. Surely Nami knows that too…

'Oh, sure. Go on, I'll leave you boys to it!~' Nami calls in such a sweet way that I feel like I've swallowed a lump of sugar. I gag on her words, looking to her with clouded eyes.

'What? N-nami?' I splutter as the girl springs up from her desk. 'But I thought…'

Before I can finish, Nami is up and across the room. She grabs Robin's arm before the bookworm can leave and waves to me.

'I'll see you outside Luffy!~' she shouts happily, before dragging Robin out of the room with her. The two are quickly followed by Vivi and Kaya, both of whom are giggling and waving as well. I wave back and shrug my shoulders. Girls are weird…

Then again, all of my friends are weird it turns out…

The second Nami and the girls are out of the room, Sanji pushes my desk away and the boys take their places standing in front of me, staring down at me with piercing eyes.

Suddenly, I feel like I'm on trial. Zoro's patient gaze makes him the judge, Usopp and Chopper's knowing grins presents them as the jury, whilst Sanji's flaming glare clearly means he's the executioner.

'Alright, listen here shit-head!' Sanji bellows, giving me a blazing glare. 'You better be good to her! You got that?'

'Be careful Luffy,' Zoro interjects. 'Guard your wallet with your life!'

'You should do something special for her since it's your first,' Chopper comments. 'Like…get her flowers or a present or something like that.'

'Nothing too expensive though,' Usopp put it. 'Or else then she'll think you're trying too hard.'

'Your eyes better not stray below the neck and that goes double for your hands!' Sanji howls.

'And don't let her hold onto your phone or your stuff, you'll see it on E-bay before the night is done,' Zoro states.

'Make sure you don't leave her behind,' Usopp warns. 'Let her know that tonight, you're there for her.'

'And have fun too and try and get her to have fun,' Chopper advises.

'Nami swan is an angel…'

'She's the devil…'

'She's a good catch…'

'And a good friend…'

'SO DON'T SCREW THIS UP IDIOT!' the four chorus at once, pointing their fingers accusingly at my chest. I blink, trying to soak in everything the four have just been saying.

For a moment, the gears in my brain struggle to move, clicking angrily as I try and piece together the advice. Finally, when the gears start turning once more, I can only say one thing.

'What the heck are you guys talking about?' A desperate groan escapes the three as their faces meet their palms.

'What do you mean what are we talking about?' Sanji roars, stamping the floor with his right leg.

'We're giving you advice for your date with Nami!' Zoro continues, folding his arms.

'Yeah, you should be thanking us,' Usopp murmurs with a pout.

'Not that we like compliments bastard!' Chopper shouts. The trio nod together at the boy's words.

Despite their serious expressions, I laugh at their reasoning.

'You think that we're going on a date? This is just a hangout, like a friend thing. Why would you think it be anything else? I mean, it's Nami who asked me, right?' The four pause.

They look to me, then to each other, then back at me.

If I didn't know any better, I'd have suspected they'd just discovered my secret identity they looked that bemused.

Finally, Zoro sighs and walks towards the door, throwing his hands up in the air.

'Screw it, the kid's hopelessly in denial!' he complains.

'She sure knows how to pick them,' Usopp mutters under his breath, dragging Chopper along. The brown haired boy merely shakes his head at me.

'How dare you play with Nami-swan's heart like this!' Sanji agrees, though he seems somewhat relieved as he smiles.

Without another word, my three friends open the classroom door and slam it shut, leaving me watching them in a daze.

I turn to the front in confusion and spot Pell sitting at his desk giving me a wide smile.

Why is it that everyone in this school seems to know something but me?

'…Seriously, what just happened!?' I ask him in a last act of desperation.

Pell just laughs and follows my friends out of the room. I moan angrily, slamming my head on the desk.

I love my friends but sometimes, they can be real weirdos.

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

'I am so doomed!' I scream, collapsing against the wall. The reality of the situation has been creeping up on me all day but now, it was grasping at my throat like a hangman's noose.

'Oh come on Nami,' Vivi pleads with her misty grey eyes.

'Yeah, everything would be better if you weren't so melodramatic,' Robin says.

'I don't see the problem here anyway,' Kaya mumbles, cupping her chin in thought. 'What are you so stressed about?'

I give the blonde a look of disbelief, my jaw hanging loose as I stare at her. For someone who was supposed to be quite intelligent, Kaya had just said the dumbest thing.

'Because I just asked my best friend on a date!'

'So it is a date?' Robin responds with that usual twist of her lips. I hold in a scream, gritting my teeth as my whole body tenses.

'Yes, fine! It's a date!' I say, submitting to Robin's expectations. The girls exchange glances and let out an 'aw'.

'How cute!~' Kaya exclaims.

'I think you two make a really nice couple Nami,' Vivi voices with an encouraging smile. Their comments do anything but encourage me though. I slump further against the wall.

'I just don't know what to do now though,' I grumble. 'I mean…before, things were easy. I was just hanging out with Luffy and having fun but now…I feel like there's all this pressure and tension.'

'Nami, how did you first fall in love with Luffy?'

'I am not in love with…' I start, but Robin waves away my excuses with a sigh.

'Nami, let's be realistic here,' she says. 'How did you grow to have feelings for him?' I sigh, condemning myself to the truth I had kept locked close to my chest for so long.

'I enjoy being with him,' I explain, hoping that the answer were vague enough for Robin to drop the subject.

'Then what's the problem?' Robin inquires. Happily, not a single thought pops into my head.

'Nami, you're just overthinking things,' Vivi elaborates with a grin. 'Just don't try to force anything and let everything tonight be natural. You'll find yourself enjoying the concert and the "date" more that way.' I give a small sigh and force a smile to my face.

'I guess you're all right,' I comment, pulling myself up off the floor and standing tall once more.

'Just try and have fun and whatever happens tonight…happens,' Kaya put in sweetly. I nod in simple understanding.

'I guess tonight won't be so bad,' I reluctantly concede. My friends' faces all brighten up at this statement.

At that moment, the door to the classroom smashes open, causing all of us to turn and stare. Zoro, Usopp, Chopper and Sanji file out of the room, shaking their heads in unison.

'Good luck Nami, you're going to need it,' the four of them announce together, not bothering to stop as they march along. The girls join me in my confusion, watching the four boys leave, before refocusing our looks on the classroom door.

Pell walks out the door with the class folder under his arm and chuckles, beckoning the last person inside to leave so he can lock up the classroom for the weekend.

Sure enough, in a matter of moments, Luffy springs out of the door. A strained expression melts away on his face as he catches sight of me. Everyone turns to me, no doubt noticing my reddening cheeks under Luffy's stare.

'Alright Nami, let's go!' Luffy announces, charging forwards and grabbing my hand, before pulling me along down the corridor.

'You don't even know where we're going!' I shout, but Luffy doesn't seem to pay much attention to my comments. Robin gives me a wink as Vivi and Kaya chuckle. Even Pell lifts his left hand up in the air as he grins.

'Have fun you two,' he calls.

I frown back at them before looking towards Luffy who seems blissfully unaware of their teasing. Still marching towards the front entrance, the idiot is grinning widely. He looks back and with a wink, encourages me to return his stupid grin. I do so without hesitation.

Date or no date, I know I need to make the most of tonight. Maybe being alone with Luffy is just what I need to sort my head out.

This concert can help me figure out what this idiot means to me, whether he's just my best friend or whether there actually is something deeper there that I never noticed before. I just need to go with the flow and enjoy my time with Luffy.

Who knows? Maybe I'll discover something about our relationship I had never even considered before.

Anything can happen.

* * *

_**3**__**rd**__** person P.O.V**_

Spandam was silent as the limo steadily rolled along. His eyes studied the odd looking man opposite him intently.

Palazzo Buggy was chuckling madly to himself on the seat opposite, staring at his twitching hands with disbelief. The specially designed outfit to accommodate for his new abilities had originally been a simple white one piece suit.

Buggy, however, had insisted on making some small changes here and there. The result was a flamboyant mess of colour. His one piece suit was now striped red and white and a large orange captain's cloak hung from his shoulders. His face was covered in odd paint patterns with a white skull and cross bones staining the man's poor complexion as his ruby red lips and nose twinkled in the fleeting outside light.

On his head was a pompous orange pirate captain's hat which proudly informed the world that the man sitting in the limo was a accomplished eccentric individual.

Spandam remained unamused by Buggy's gleeful cackling, however.

The red nosed fool had spent all of the morning trying to pick out the correct "outfit" for his new super villain persona, completely forgetting the more important issue of his powers. In fact, if anything, the man was taking his newly given powers completely for granted. For the smallest thing, Buggy would showcase his new abilities, turning his impossible power into a simple plaything.

Even now, Buggy was testing his new ability with a bizarre childlike smile. His left hand was currently floating in front of his face, waving enthusiastically from side to side. His left arm, however, was still resting next to his body. The hand was floating in mid-air, dancing on nothingness. Buggy laughed at the simple demonstration and with a flick of his wrist, off popped the other hand.

Showcasing his great lack of respect for logic or physics, the hand flew up to the other, returned its wave before the two hands gripped one another in a firm shake. This had the clown in stitches.

As his patience withered into nothingness, Spandam finally spoke up.

'Palazzo, we need you to focus now!' he demanded. Buggy immediately stopped what he was doing. The hands returned to his arms and he gave an awkward laugh. He shrugged only for his arms to pop off completely.

'Sorry boss, just getting used to this,' the clown said. Spandam could tell from the squeaks of joy in his voice that he wasn't sorry at all.

'Whatever,' Spandam conceded with an audible sigh. 'The point is that right now, we need to start planning our next move.' Buggy's glee vanished.

'Next move?'

'Yeah, how you're going to take on the Scarlet Wind.' Buggy's mouth fumbled into a grin.

'Oh yeah, that flashy Scarlet has got a whole lot of hurt coming for him!' Buggy announced, slamming a separated fist into a floating hand.

'Indeed,' Spandam murmured, disregarding Buggy's words. 'So, I think it'd be best we plan our next move carefully, strike our enemy when he's weak so we…you can effectively get some payback.'

'Payback?' Buggy murmured. 'Yeah, I can get payback! I can get payback for everyone who's ever screwed me over: Old man Rayleigh, Beckman…even that flashy bastard Shanks and his bitch and her little orphan brats!'

'Listen Palazzo,' Spandam spoke up, casting him a stern glare. 'Solving your own personal problems are all well and good but remember the deal. These powers you have are only yours so you can squash that pesky Scarlet freak.' Buggy's manic expression faded as he looked up to Spandam.

'What did you say?'

'I said remember the deal…'

'No, you said listen,' Buggy interrupted, before a menacing grin came to his blood red lips. 'Why should I listen to you?' Spandam's eyes widened. He could almost feel a noose tightening around his neck as his client spoke those words.

'Listen here you insignificant…' he began.

'No!' Buggy spat, his face morphing into a mask of rage as his body parts began popping off at random. His right arm flew forwards, splitting into smaller chunks as his hand grabbed Spandam's throat and slammed him into the blacked out window behind him.

'You're going to listen to me! All my life big people like you have walked all over me! Buggy? Buggy couldn't do anything about that and he's had to play along with your games…but Chop Chop man? Chop Chop man doesn't have to put up with your bullshit anymore! He's his own man and I have the power to do whatever I want!'

Spandam gargled helplessly in reply, clutching at the floating hand that was gripping his throat.

'Palazzo, stop this. You're making a…'

'Mistake?' Buggy finished with a flamboyant laugh. 'No, I don't make mistakes anymore. You see, now I'm bigger, badder and better than you or your Mr Zero fella. From now on, Palazzo Buggy is going to get everything he deserves coming to him.' As Buggy spoke, his left arm shot off from his body and reached the limo door. With a twitch of Buggy's eye, the hands finger's tightened around the handle and flung the door open.

A screeching sound cried outside the car as oncoming traffic collided head on with the open door, smashing it straight off its hinges. Buggy chuckled as Spandam gave a worried glance to the open door. Surely enough, the limo ground to a halt. In a matter of moments, horns and car alarms filled the air.

Buggy took the violent stopping of the car as a sign of leave and he hopped out of the limo, his arms retreating back to their master as he stepped outside.

'I'd love to stay here and chat Spanda,' Buggy called with a sickeningly confident tone in his voice. 'But I've got a date with destiny and she's a dame you don't want to keep waiting. Thanks for the powers!'

And with that Palazzo Buggy began sprinting down the street, leaving the scene much less dramatically than he had probably intended. Spandam groaned, nursing the bruise on his neck from Buggy's grip. He could only guess how angry Mr Zero was about to become.

As the window his head had smashed into began to open, Spandam let out a sigh to ready himself for another strange interaction.

'Well, that went well,' Vegapunk commented calmly. 'If his skill with his powers is the same as his creativity with names, you should have no problem in sorting that idiot out.' The green haired genius turned to the driver and leaned on her shoulder, looking her in the eye as he continued. 'I mean, Chop Chop man? What was he thinking?'

'He wasn't,' Paula responded, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to get rid of the scientist. Vegapunk merely nodded in agreement before turning back to Spandam.

'I still don't know what you were thinking,' he muttered. 'The fool didn't deserve those abilities I just gave him. Why did you recruit him in the first place?'

'Palazzo was down on his luck and he seemed willing to assist Waxwork in taking down our red enemy,' Spandam replied, clearing his throat nervously. The composure he had been trying to keep during his time as Mr Zero's right hand man was beginning to slip. He wasn't necessarily a powerful man but he knew how to use people and that was a useful asset. Sadly, it appeared that this skill hadn't been as much use to him as he previously had hoped.

'Well, Mr Zero is going to be over the moon,' Vegapunk murmured. 'And for your failure, you might be going to the bottom of the ocean.'

'Watch yourself,' Spandam snapped. The scientist merely grinned.

'I'm just saying. This is one big screw up for you.'

'Mr Zero told you to create someone to fight the Scarlet Wind. You don't think he'll fight back when Scarlet tries to lock him up?' Spandam questioned. Vegapunk paused thoughtfully.

'I suppose this is salvageable then…' he commented to no-one in particular. 'We shall just have to wait and see what comes next.' Spandam nodded.

Vegapunk was correct.

Anything could happen.

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

I know I've not really been to too many places. I mean, there was that one time when Ace, I and Sabo were younger and Makino and Shanks took us on holiday but since then, I've never really left my hometown.

Despite that, I've got to say downtown Dawn City is one of my favourite places to be, especially for a lazy afternoon after school. The sidewalks might be full and the roads might be backed up around the block but there's something nice about a bustling city in the setting sun that just makes you smile.

As the bus doors open with a whoosh, I leap out, dragging Nami along with me. My orange haired friend groans as she straightens out her skirt and adjusts her hair.

'I can't believe we had to stand up the whole way here,' she groans.

'I can't believe you're still going on about it,' I taunt, sticking out my tongue to let Nami know I'm joking. Nami, never the less, gives me a deadpan stare before reaching over and poking it hard.

'OW!~' I groan in complaint, whilst Nami giggles to herself.

'That is for being mean to the person who's treating you to dinner and a concert,' she states with a sly grin. I laugh, wiping my mouth with one hand before smirking at her.

'Fair enough, I guess I had that one coming,' I concede. Nami nods.

'Well, I suppose you're not so bad then,' she comments with a playful shove. 'Alright then idiot, where do you wanna go first?'

'FOOD!' I whine in reply. Nami sighs.

'Did I really need to ask?' she wonders aloud, before turning to me for more hints. 'Anywhere in particular?'

'As long as it's edible, I don't care,' I reply with a nonchalant shrug. Nami's eyes narrow.

'Come on, Genzo's treating us here. You might as well make the most of it.'

'Well, when you put it like that,' I mutter, folding my arms with another one of my wide grins. Nami stifles a giggle at my comment before glancing around. Seeing her looking, I decide to join in her in looking. The street is full of shops from the big high-street clothing stores to those small comic book shops that Usopp likes to go in. There's not a single restaurant in sight.

'Well…' I mumble out loud. 'Maybe we should just start walking around and then we can see if there's anywhere we fancy settling down for a bite.'

'Good idea,' Nami agreed, before breaking out into a playful smirk. 'You don't usually have too many of those, today must be a good day for you.'

'I'll take that as a compliment,' I retort, grabbing hold of Nami's hand and dragging her along as I walked. I can't help but feel relieved as Nami falls into step with me, the smile clinging to her lips. I've got to admit, it's a nice change seeing Nami this happy.

Recently, she's seemed distracted and stressed about something but now, I get the feeling that everything is okay…at least for tonight. If that's the case then, I'm going to make tonight the best night I can for her.

* * *

We ended up walking for a few minutes before we finally stopped and started properly looking for a restaurant. It was Nami's idea when she suddenly spotted how late things were getting.

It was weird how quickly time passes when you're talking about mindless and simple things. As Nami starts studying the menus of each restaurant we pass for anything that catches her eye, I've got to admit I can't even remember anything we had been talking about before now.

Something about family, something about friends, something about her new job…I don't really remember any more than that.

All I know is that I loved just talking and spending time with Nami. I didn't realise until now just how much I've missed hanging with Nami in particular. Of course, I've missed chilling with the guys and the other girls but with Nami and me, there's always been just something awesome whenever we're together.

Something I can't exactly put my finger on…some…some kind of spark…

'What about here?' Nami questions as we stop outside another restaurant. 'Look at the menu! "All you can eat from around the world: dine on cuisine from Asia, Europe, America and other exotic locales".' Nami turns to me for a verdict.

'You had me at "eat",' I reply with a grin, gripping Nami's hand again and whisking her inside. Nami chuckles to herself as the door swings open.

Luckily, there's no queue to get in so me and Nami are quickly able to jump in front of the counter and speak to the woman there.

The woman's hair is bright pink and sticks out at random in a flamboyant display. As we approach she acknowledges us with a wide smile and an enthusiastic curtsy.

'Welcome to the East Blue Fin where dishes from all around the world join hands to be eaten side by side!~' she cries, posing like a salsa dancer. Nami and me exchange a look of confusion at the bizarre image.

'Er…' Nami starts.

'Oh call me Carmen my little flowers,' the rose haired woman interrupts, completely mistaking our surprise.

'Right…Carmen, table for two please,' Nami states hesitantly, still uncertain about the woman's flamboyant display. Carmen nods, bowing low before clicking her fingers and producing a rose into her lips.

'Of course, right this way if you please!' As she saunters off, we follow.

'Next time, I'm choosing the restaurant,' Nami whispers in my ear as we go and I chuckle in reply. Spotting our conversation, Carmen smiles before gesturing to a small enclosed booth to her left.

'Here you go folks, a table for the cute couple!~' she practically sings.

'We are not a couple!' Nami insists as if on instinct. I laugh at the claim as well. That just proves the guys were talking all nonsense about Nami asking me out on a date…

Why did I feel a little hollow about that victory?

Carmen casts a surprised look between us. Following her gaze, I suddenly realise I've still been holding Nami's hand this entire time. Nami sees this too and quickly pulls away before giving a laugh.

'We're…we're just two good friends out for a night on the town,' she explains. Carmen casts a smile at the two of us, as if she knows perfectly what's going on (man, I hate it when people do that) and then gestures to the buffet which stretches out behind her.

'Well, whenever you're ready, grab a plate and feel free to help yourself,' she encourages before dashing off back towards the

'Right, you ready to go?' Nami asks, instantly springing up from the table with an odd laugh before looking towards the food. I stand up beaming, fully ready to accept her proposal…when I suddenly remember something I've forgotten to do. Digging in my pocket for my phone, I sit back down on the seat. Pretty comfy. Nami choose a good place.

'You go get your meal first!' I say. Nami raises an eyebrow at me.

'Don't tell me you're not hungry?' she mutters in disbelief. I laugh at her shock, before turning back to my phone.

'I just need to message Makino,' I explain with a grin. 'Tell her why I'm not going to be home tonight.' Nami's eyes widen before she sighs, planting her hand firmly on her forehead.

'What's wrong?' I ask, tilting my head to one side.

'I thought you'd already asked her if you could come. It probably would have been better if you had actually asked Makino that you could come see Brook with me at lunch. Aren't you supposed to be grounded?'

'I'm not exactly sure of that myself,' I mumble, scratching my cheek with my index finger. 'I mean there was the thing with Garp…and then Hancock. I'm sure she'll be fine with this though.'

'And if she's not?' Nami questions. 'What if she's mad that you're going out having fun with me?' I force a wide smile to my lips, ignoring mental images of Makino spewing fire from her mouth.

'Ever heard the term it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission?'

* * *

_**Makino P.O.V**_

'Kiwi, table three's order,' I say, planting the tray in front of her. The woman with black box-shaped hair grins and salutes.

'Sure thing,' she replies, scooping up the tray.

'Business is really booming tonight,' Mozu comments from by my side, quickly drying a pint glass before putting it under the counter with the others.

'It's Friday,' I respond. 'Works over for another two days for most people and their first order of business is getting drunk.'

'I hear that,' Mozu comments, eying the drink I was pouring to add to the next order.

'Not until you're off your shift,' I warn her with a playful smile.

'As harsh as always Makino,' Mozu comments, dramatically holding her palm to her forehead.

'Don't know how your Ace and Luffy cope with you when Shanks isn't there to bail them out,' Kiwi agrees, sauntering up to take the next order.

'I'll have you know I am always just and fair with my boys,' I counter, waving off their comments. 'ALL of my boys.'

'Ouch, don't even give your man any leniency, huh?'

'How is Luffy doing anyway?' Mozu wonders aloud. 'I haven't seen him in a while.' As Mozu speaks, the weight on my shoulders from the other night returns. I thought that working a few extra shifts would help keep my mind off of it.

Luffy said he didn't like me worrying…but now that the concern is back, I can't help but embrace it until it consumes me.

'That boy…I…I don't know,' I concede with an agitated sigh. Kiwi and Mozu exchange curious glances, before looking to me once more, seeking clarity. 'One moment, he's fine and he's happy and then he's coming back late at night covered in bruises. I just don't know what's going on with him or what to do about it.'

'Teenagers all have that rebellious phase,' Kiwi comments, giving me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 'I'm sure he's just out having fun with his friends.'

'I don't know,' I mutter, staring into the drink I just poured, hoping it would hold some answer. 'He's acting far too secretive for that…and he hasn't been hanging out with them much.'

'Maybe our Luffy has a secret double life,' Kiwi suggests.

'Maybe he's got a secret girlfriend!' Mozu shouts, holding her hand up in the air as if that answers all our questions.

'A secret girlfriend?' I laugh at the suggestion. 'You're acting just like Ace now. I don't think it's that.' Quickly preparing another drink, I place it on the tray and inform Kiwi to take the order to Table 5. As she saunters away, however, I suddenly begin to piece things together in my mind.

'…You know, that might actually make sense.' Mozu turns to me in confusion.

'What?'

'The whole secret girlfriend thing. It actually makes sense when I think about it…' Mozu leans in, intrigued with my deduction.

'How so?'

'Well…last Monday, I get a call whilst at home, there's this girl from Luffy's class and she wanted to talk to him. When I asked what about, she said it was a project and that she knows Luffy from class. Luffy never really mentioned here before though, so I had a look through some school stuff on the school website and I managed to find a class photo. She was there, arms around Luffy's neck. She was quite the looker too.'

'Really?' Mozu comments between giggles. 'I thought your son always had a thing for that red-head he was always hanging around.'

'Nami?' I ask. An image of the two pops up in my head and I find myself nodding in agreement. 'I suppose they were close…but Luffy seems to be quite interested in this other girl.'

'So our Luffy is growing up and found himself a nice girl?' Kiwi puts in, returning from handing out the drinks. 'Good for him.'

'I suppose…though that doesn't really explain the bruises though…' I mumble, cupping my chin in thought.

'Maybe Luffy broke up with the other girl,' Mozu contemplates.

'Maybe he was cheating on this other girl with Nami and she beat him up for it?' Kiwi comments. The three of us look at one another. Laughter soon follows.

'Luffy…cheating? Oh that's a good one sis!' Mozu says between laughter.

'Yeah, I think I raised my boy a little better than that,' I state through my own chuckles.

'I know, I know,' Kiwi replies, shielding her mouth with her hand. 'I just thought it was an amusing thought is all.' The laughter abruptly finishes, however, when my pocket starts bleeping.

'That's probably lover boy now,' Mozu jokes, nudging my shoulder. 'Go ahead and see what he wants.' I nod in reply and take out my mobile.

_From: Luffy_

_Hey Makino. Might b home late 2night. Me and Nami r goin 2gethe concert. Dont wait up :3_

_Received: 17:12_

I freeze, my eyes sticking to the phone in my hand. I look to Kiwi and Mozu in turn before looking back at my mobile and re-reading the text.

'OH MY GOD! MY SON IS BECOMING A PLAYBOY!'

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

'And I'm trying to tell him "My name is Nami" and the clown guy just keeps laughing and ignoring me more!' I laugh loudly after swallowing the last amount of food in my mouth.

'Sounds like you've made some weird friends at your new job,' I observe.

'Tell me about it,' Nami mutters, flipping her head back as her short hair flops back over her shoulder once more.

'Still, seems like you're enjoying it there too,' I comment. 'I mean, you got an article published on one of your first days, that's amazing!'

'It's not anything that special,' Nami says with a shy grin. 'I was called on at first to a photographing job but since there was "bigger news" on the front page, Shiki offered that I sum up the last fight Scarlet had with that Waxwork crook.' I nod, taking in Nami's explanations with a content smile.

I think I could listen to her talk all day and I wouldn't really even mind. This meal has been the best catch-up in my life and I'm really glad to hear that my best friend is doing well for herself.

She's got a job and is looking towards a bright future…whereas I'm dressing up in tights and leaping from the rooftops every night instead of doing homework.

That comparison really makes you think…

'So…' I suddenly say, a new question bubbling up in my mind. 'What do you…er…actually think about the Scarlet Wind?' Nami gives me a perplexed look.

'What do I think?'

'Yeah, I've not really heard too many people talk about what they think of our new resident superhero. I know Usopp and Chopper like the guy and I think I've heard Kaya's a fan…'

Nami chuckles at my mention of Kaya's name and I pause until she's finished. Weird reaction there…

'I was just wondering what you thought about him.'

Nami pauses for a moment, as if honestly considering the question. For some reason, my mouth stops working and I even find myself loosening my grip on my final chicken drumstick. Just for once, I'd like someone to approve of what I'm doing as Scarlet.

All I ever hear or see recently are negative comments from the Grand Line Times and hushed whispers of rumours at school.

If Nami approved, then that was another one of the main people that mattered in my life commending my new lifestyle.

I mean, whose opinion was more important than my best friend's?

'Well,' Nami finally began after her long delay. 'I suppose…he's a good person. He might break the law from time to time and he is going around breaking bones and taking names in tights.' For some reason, Nami's comments cut right through me. 'But...' And suddenly, all my hope is back again, stitching the wounds of Nami's words back together once more. 'His heart is in the right place. He's determined too and I like that.'

'So, you'd call yourself a fan?' I ask with a wolfish grin. Spotting my cheeky smile, Nami folds her arms and regards me sceptically.

'I guess so…why?'

'No reason,' I respond with a light chuckle. With a quick chew from my teeth, the last meat on my plate vanishes and I sit back with a content sigh, both at Nami's words and my own appetite.

'Full up?' the orange haired woman in question asks. Her brown orbs glance over to the large pile of plates next to my seat. Some were hers but, proudly, the majority were mine.

'I guess.' A sudden burp serves as a second opinion. Her eyebrows furrow.

'Gross. Last time I take you anywhere.'

'Thank you Nami!~' I call, fluttering my eye lashes and putting my hands together. Nami sighed with a shake of her head.

'Come on, if you're finished, let's go pay,' she says, edging out of the booth with a warm smile. I stand up as well…only for Nami's eyes to look straight at my stomach.

'Where do you put it all?' she mumbles aloud. 'I've never seen someone eat so much and yet still have such a good figure.' Nami seems to jump slightly after she speaks, her hand coming to her mouth. I laugh, ignoring her weird behaviour.

'Well, I need to work hard to keep this hourglass figure,' I joked, patting my belly. 'Or else the food all goes to my hips and wearing pants becomes a catastrophe.' Luckily, this statement is all it takes to draw a smile from Nami's lips.

Sadly, her joy seems to evaporate as we approach the front of the restaurant.

'Ah, there's the cute couple!' Carmen calls as she spots us, fluttering around her counter to stand near us. 'Did you enjoy your meal?'

'It was great thanks!' I reply, before Nami can speak. She seems to falter at my words and simply resorts to giving Carmen the money for the meal. Carmen checks the cash against the bill and smiles, before waving us off.

'Alright then, here're your change.' Nami takes the leftover coins. 'Have a nice evening you two!~'

'We will, thanks!' I reply, walking a silent Nami out the door.

Once outside, the silence becomes too intense to bare. Glancing at Nami, I notice her looking at the ground as we walk.

'Are you okay there?' I ask. Immediately, she snaps out of her whatever daze she's in and shoots me a smile.

'Fine, just a little tired.'

'Well, that's not really good when we're going to a concert,' I tease, gently poking her arm. 'Thanks for paying for the meal too. You're really amazing, you know that?' Nami's face practically glows. Maybe she's feeling ill as well as tired.

'You don't need to thank me. Genzo offered to pay…it's the only reason I offered.'

'Genzo paid? Why?'

'Let's just say we struck a bargain,' Nami responds, showing a sly smirk whilst placing her hand on her hip.

'A bargain? With your mum's boyfriend? That's stingy!' Nami's smile fades.

'Oh, so are you planning on paying next time?'

'THANK YOU NAMI!~' I shout loudly, attracting the attention of some of the other pedestrians. Nami quickly slams a hand on her mouth, glancing round in embarrassment.

'Okay, I get it,' she says with a sigh. 'Just stop making a scene!'

'Seriously though Nami, that was really nice. I'm glad we can hang like this.'

'Yeah…' Nami murmurs, looking up at the clouds. I scrunch my face up at her strange reply. Was something really up with her? She just seems really off…then again, I'm not too good at reading people so maybe I'm imagining it.

Nami has been really nice today though. Bringing me along like this and treating me to a nice meal AND a concert. It's more than I really deserve, especially considering how little we've been together as of late.

'_You should do something nice for her since it's your first like…get her flowers or a present or something like that.'_

I know we're not on a date but Chopper's words are suddenly forefront in my mind. I feel a devious grin coming to my face. Yeah, Nami does deserve to know how special she is…I just need to think of a way to…

'We better hurry,' Nami suddenly comments, looking down at her watch. 'The show starts soon and I doubt they'll wait just for us to get through the queue.'

'I don't know about that,' I counter with my usual grin. 'The party doesn't usually start until I get there.'

* * *

_**3**__**rd**__** person P.O.V**_

A loud sigh escaped Rokkaku's mouth. The job he had been assigned had definitely not been as exciting as he had expected it to be.

Helping guard the Dawn City arena when Soul King Brook came to play had seemed like a dream come true.

It had taken the first half an hour before Rokkaku had become bored out of his mind and ultimately disappointed.

Whilst the other police forces were busy watching the grounds and perusing the crowds, ensuring that no violence occurred and also being able to watch the show themselves, he was stuck watching the backstage for any problems. This should have been a dream come true: getting to see the great Soul King Brook live on stage!

Now, with Brook locked up in his dressing room preparing his "soul make-up" for the show, Rokkaku was stuck playing with shoelaces until something important happened.

'Rokkaku, this is Captain Hina, report in.'

'Everything's looking good here Captain,' Rokkaku murmured in reply.

'Good, Hina pleased. Please report if there any developments.'

'Have no fear Captain,' Rokkaku replied. 'Everything here seems to be going great.'

'Make sure you don't jinx anything Rokkaku. This show has been a long time coming and Mayor Iceburg will be pleased if goes off without a hitch. Think of the good publicity this will give the town.'

'Of course captain,' Rokkaku said, allowing his captain's words to disappear into air.

'Good, Hina satisfied. Remember to report if anything new happens.

'Yes ma'am.' After the walkie talkie went dead, Rokkaku groaned loudly.

Life was so unfair.

No chance at watching Brook perform, little chance of being able to get out and do something impressive whilst on duty.

He probably wouldn't even be able to get that autograph he wanted.

With a sigh, he quickly returned to his duties, marching along the corridors backstage with a sigh. No crazed fan girls in sight. Of course, none of them had managed to get past Fullbody.

Rokkaku could say what he would about the man's arrogance but at least he got the job done.

As boredom began to creep over the unsuspecting officer, the man began scratching the back of his head.

'I knew I should have joined the Coast Guard,' he mumbled half-heartedly. 'At least then I'd get to resuscitate hot babes with mouth to mouth and tan in the sun. Dawn City is one of the most boring…'

'FLASHY SURPRISE!' a loud voice yelled.

Before Rokkaku could react, a fist smacked him around the back of the head before grabbing him by his throat. The officer tensed, struggling against the prevailing grip of the disembodied hand.

'What in the…' he struggled out, before an odd shadow stepped into view. 'What…who are you?'

'I'm your show stopper!' the shadow replied with a mad cackle before moving forth to reveal…Rokkaku honestly wasn't sure how to describe what he was looking at. It looked like an odd cross between a clown, a pirate and a man in drag.

'Who the hell…' Rokkaku pressed. The man laughed, his stomach shaking loose from the rest of his body as he did so. Rokkaku's eyes flashed wide open at the realisation that the man was not only splitting apart randomly, the hand that was also holding him wasn't connected to the man's body. 'What are you doing here?'

'Well, many years ago, I wrote Brook a letter and applied to a position of a duet singer!' the odd man announced, tears beginning to pour from his eyes. 'Brook responded that he was a one man show and out right refused my request thanking me for my devotion as a fan and encouraging me that I could achieve my dream if I tried hard enough whilst sending me an autographed picture as a consolation prize. THE NERVE OF THAT GUY!'

'It led me on a soul searching quest of discovery! I call this tale "Buggy's great spiritual adventure". The first thing that happened was…' The clown suddenly stopped mid-rant and turned to face Rokkaku with a red face. 'WHY THE HELL AM I TELLING YOU ALL THIS?'

'I have no idea,' the confused police officer replied. This was perhaps the wrong thing to say as the man quickly proceeded to smash his face into a wall before chucking his unconscious body into a nearby janitor's closet. Buggy smirked at his success.

'Perfect,' he concluded with a strange laugh. 'All I have to do is wait until Soul King gets on stage…and then I shall get my revenge for him never making me famous! Then, I'll deal with that newspaper boy who never had change for a twenty! THEN I'll get revenge on that asshole who stood thinking too long at the fast food restaurant that time…AND THEN…'

As his mad dreams of grand revenge on the world continued, Buggy sniggered to himself, floating along backstage completely unseen…apart from a pair of dull brown shoes that marched along secretly to one side of the stage.

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

Getting inside the concert had taken a lot longer than I had expected.

The queues for the show were backed up around the block. If we had arrived any later, we probably wouldn't have gotten in.

Luckily though, we managed to get through with just enough time to spare. The arena, however, is full of people. I'm not all that surprised really.

This isn't just anyone they've all come to see, it's the Soul King.

The open topped roof of the arena gives a great view of the stars and the moon above, almost as if they're waiting for the show as well. Moving through the throngs of concert goers in order to find a good spot, I turn to Luffy and give him an apologetic smile.

'Sorry about the space, Genzo only had standing tickets.'

'I've been standing most of my life, two and a half hours more won't be too bad,' he insists in return. 'Besides, this way we can get closer to the fun, right?' I can't help but smile at Luffy's reply. He's always seeing the bright side in everything, isn't he? We could be stuck on a desert island in the middle of nowhere and he'd probably be happy, saying that at least we had each other.

Alone with Luffy…

Letting a small sigh pass out of my lips, the two of us finally come to a stop when the crowd around the stage becomes impassable.

'We could have been right up close to the stage if we had gotten here earlier,' I comment with a frown. Luffy laughs off my concern, however and flashes me his usual grin.

'This is still a good spot. We can see the stage and we're not too cramped like they are,' Luffy says, gesturing to the large crowd fighting their way closer to the stage. I can only nod in agreement.

'Yeah. The show should be good. You ready?'

'Of course!…I just need to go to the toilet.' I glance at the black haired boy in disbelief. He knows how to pick his moments, doesn't he?

'Now? The show is about to start,' I insist, grabbing hold of his arm before he can leave.

'I'll be quick then,' he replies. 'We've been waiting in line for a long time and now I really have to go!' The comic way in which Luffy's dancing on his feet explains that he's not joking around. I let out a soft sigh, releasing his arm from my grasp.

'Okay then, just hurry up. I don't want you to miss anything. Plus, it'll weird being here on my own.'

'Sure. Stay here, I'll be back any second,' Luffy quickly explains before dashing backwards through the crowd. As he leaves, a thought pops into my head and I turn to face his retreating back.

'Oh, since you're going, could you at least grab me a drink whilst you're gone?'

'One fizzy orange juice coming up!'

'Thanks,' I call to him but the sound is lost over the loud crowd.

As I watch Luffy's black bob dancing into the sea of people, a frown starts to creep over my face. Always disappearing off the face of the earth at the wrong moment, that's Luffy. His timing is horrendous…it's a good everything else pulls that up. Taking the moment, Luffy's gone to check my phone, I quickly notice I've got a series of texts.

_From Robin_

_Hope you two have fun on your date. XX Robin._

_Received: 19:00_

My teeth grind together as I read Robin's latest message.

Everything had been going nicely and now Robin had to bring up the big issue of my new feelings for Luffy…which weren't there!

They couldn't be there! I mean, the whole time I was hanging out with Luffy nothing seemed out of the ordinary than any time before when we've been together. I'm happy, yeah and I love being with him but I don't think there's anything different there. It's only when she brings it up like this…and when Luffy's not around…

Before I can stop myself, I'm texting Robin back with frantic fingers.

_Reply_

_To Robin_

_I am having a lot of fun thanks but it's not a da_

Before I can finish texting the end of the message out, the stadium lights suddenly all grow dim. I swear under my breath. The show is starting. I don't have time for Robin. Pocketing my phone, I look up at the starting show.

'Ladies and gentlemen!' a voice suddenly calls out. The entire audience falls silent and starts listening intently. Some people in the crowd are literally trembling at the anticipation. 'I am pleased to announce to the Dawn Stadium's stage: the one, the only and the best: Soul King Brook!' Instantly, sound explodes over the concert floor. Screams and cheers echo around the vast arena.

'BROOK!~'

'SOUL KING, WOO!~'

'AH! BROOK, I WANNA MARRY YOU!~

Smoke gushes from the stage, encompassing the whole area in a misty fog. Through the fog, a familiar skinny man in a black tuxedo steps forwards, flanked by his three back up singers, his base guitarist and his drummer.

The man's eyes are covered with a light pink pair of shades and a feather boa hangs from his neck, matching the bright colour of his flowery pants. As one would expect from one called the "Soul King", his face is decorated in make-up making his normally beige skin a deep ivory white, giving him a skeletal appearance.

As the crowd screams and cheers, the man laughs loudly into the microphone.

'YOHOHOHOHO!~ GOOD EVENING DAWN CITY! How is everyone?' he shouts in his usual sing-song voice. Caught up in all the excitement, I can't help but give a cry of joy myself, waving enthusiastically in the direction of the famous musician. It's not every day that you come close to meeting a god of music after all. Brook takes in the audience reaction and nods.

'Good, good, good. Now, how many of you want to hear some MUSIC!?' Everyone cheers back, effectively answering his question. 'Alright then!' Brook yells back. 'I warn all of you, things are going to get pretty WILD!~' More girlish screams cry out to this, some of the screams in fact coming from masculine looking man. Voices screamed and the sound was deafening. Never the less, I found myself laughing along with the crowd. Brook really knows how to sell his audience.

'MOHJI! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT!?~'

'SARQUISS! YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!'

'But because I'm a Skeleton…' Brook continues, producing his own guitar.

'BONE!' the crowd shouts back, already well aware of the Soul King's musical stage persona. Brook laughs loudly and bursts into song.

'_Bone to be wild!~'_

'_BONE TO BE WILD!~'_ the crowd echoes back

'_Bone to be wild!~'_

'_BONE TO BE WILD!~'_

'_Bone!'_

'_BONE!'_

'_Bone!'_

'_BONE!'_

'_Bone!'_

'_BONE!'_

Slowly, the single word becomes repeated faster and faster by both crowd and singer.

'_Bone, bone, bone, booooooooooonnnnnne!~'_

As the music lifts into a chorus of screams, Brook takes a bow and grabs the microphone in both hands.

'_No need to be so macho to attract the ladies!~'_ he sings.

'_Soul King is mysterious…AND HE'S NOTHING BUT BONES!~'_

Once more the music begins to soar into the clouds and the cries of the fans go with it. I let out a loud cry myself…but it suddenly feels empty. Glancing to my right, I can't help but spot the vacant Luffy shaped hole beside me. Absentmindedly, my hand twitches and I clench it with a sigh. All of the times he chooses to miss…then again, I'm the one missing him right now…

Then as suddenly as the music starts, the sound in the stadium suddenly cuts dead. Both performers and audience all fall silent, glancing uncertainly around.

'Hey, what's the deal!?' a random member of the crowd shouts.

'Yeah, where'd the music go!?' another voice yells. Brook seems just as confused as everyone else and starts looking backstage, hoping to find some sign of a problem. The technician staff, however, are nowhere to be seen. Above the silence of the crowd, several voices call to one another.

'Okay, now?'

'Yes now you idiot! That's the signal!'

'Alright, move in!'

At that point, the peaceful calm is shattered as a hail of bullets fire off into the sky.

At the sound of gunfire, I drop to the floor, holding my head as my ears start ringing. The screams of glee from the crowd instantly transform into howls of terror at the sound.

As soon as I'm on the floor, I begin glancing all around in search of the source of the gunshots.

Some others have dropped to the floor like me in the hope of avoiding the firing bullets.

Others have started retreating to the back of the arena.

Some individuals in the crowd draw out their own pistols and start evacuating people from the arena.

Planted police officers? You'd think this was a drug bust rather than a concert.

Giving a groan, I look up to the stage as it explodes with activity. From above, two figures swoop down from above. One does so softly before stopping an inch from the crowd. The other smashes down, splintering the wood.

'GOOD EVENING DAWN CITY!~' the two voices chorus in unison. 'I AM…' The two silhouettes stop speaking and turn to look at each other. 'WAIT A MINUTE, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?'

The two men give each other strange looks and from opposite sides of the arena, confused yells call out through the chaos.

'Hey, who's the clown looking dude?'

'What's that Hyena guy doing here?'

Slowly, I push myself up off the ground and start retreating away from the stage. Hordes of panicked people push me left and right as I make my way backwards. Fear is rampant and pretty quickly, the whole arena has been plunged into chaos.

Some of the police officers are already engaging with the thugs. I look around to see two men getting pinned by a single man wearing a blue baseball cap with purple hair. I jump a little as another thug nearby me is tackled to the ground by a woman with bright pink hair.

As she cuffs him, announcing his rights in some arrogant fashion, I dash off past her and through the crowd to one side. Hugging the side of the arena, I find a place to hide away from the action behind a pillar.

Crouching down against the wall, I give a low sigh. What the hell is going on here? Taking a moment to recompose myself, I shift through my school bag and retrieve the camera Shiki lent me.

Whatever is happening, if these freaks insist on interrupting the show, I might as well try and take some pictures for the Times. It'll put something on my record and it's sure to make Shiki happy. Plus, some extra cash in my pocket never hurt.

Turning on the camera, I cast a glance towards the retreating crowd nervously. This is my chance to get out. I should be running instead of just hiding here to get some photos.

I shake my head, hardening my resolve. No, I'm staying. A good reporter never drops a good story and this looks like it's going to one hell of a story.

'Luffy, stay safe out there,' I mutter quietly.

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

'That one.'

The woman behind the counter gives me a smile.

'Alright sir, just give me a quick second to wrap it up for you.' I grin widely as the woman proceeds to package the item I had selected. With a laugh, I take the box from her hands with a nod.

When me and Nami came into the arena for the concert, I couldn't help but look at the merchandise stand. It was a broad thing spanning from one end of the entrance hall to the other but with one look, I spotted it: the perfect gift for Nami. It just summed up everything so well.

Makino always told me to never get anything too expensive but Nami is worth it.

Like Chopper said, she deserves to be treated to something special. Not just for tonight but also because of all the years we'd been together.

I couldn't imagine my life without her in it and now, I wanted to show her how much I valued her friendship.

'Thanks a lot,' I say, passing the woman the money.

'So, who's it for?' the woman suddenly asks, counting up the money I gave her. 'I don't mean any offense, it's just you don't look like the jewellery type of guy.'

'Oh, it's for a friend,' I reply, shoving the box into my school bag before grinning. 'Just a souvenir sort of thing right.'

'Well, I'm sure she'll like it,' the woman says pushing the money into the cash register and withdrawing a single penny. She passes me the coin but I just flip it straight back to her.

'Ah, keep it,' I insist with a smile. 'What am I going to get with a penny?' The woman laughs in reply.

'Well thank you very much,' she says. 'I hope you enjoy the show.'

'I will, thanks,' I shout back, quickly running back towards the concert. I could already hear the announcer's voice booming from inside. I'm bound to run a lot quicker now though, especially considering I just emptied a whole three month's allowance on Nami's gift.

Then again, what do I need money for? I'm too busy being a superhero to bother spending it anyway, right?

Clutching the handle of my school bag as I run, I give a hopeful smile. Yeah, Nami's going to love it.

'…_AND HE'S NOTHING BUT BONES!~' _Brook's voice calls out ahead. I pick up the pace a little more, spinning around a corner before sprinting out into the very back of the concert area.

As I enter, however, that's when everything starts to go wrong.

First, the music dies down. I freeze at the lack of sound and stare disappointingly at the stage. It doesn't take much to figure out something is wrong.

The second gunshots start firing, I automatically start moving. Whilst the crowd seem to be making their way towards the exit, I slip to one side and immediately sprint for the men's toilets. Luckily enough, no-one is paying much attention and I'm able to sneak in quite easily.

The toilets are empty to, which means I can save a lot of time getting changed. Casually throwing off my school shirt onto the floor, I begin to get changed. Maybe it was a bright idea to wear my superhero uniform under my regular clothes. It may have jinxed my night with Nami but at least this way, I could still be of help.

'Guess it's harder than I expected to kick the habit,' I consider, pulling my trademark straw-hat and domino mask out of my school bag. 'Every time I take the suit off, I just need to put it back on again!' As I adjust my straw-hat and mask, stuffing the rest of my clothes into my school bag as quickly as I can, a realisation pops into my head.

Nami.

She's out there alone.

I drop my bag on the floor and quickly sprint back outside, in my full Scarlet suit. Once outside, I fire a hand up towards the roof and grab hold of some lighting scaffolding. I rocket up there with another flick of my wrist and launch myself across the distance towards the chaos taking place on stage.

Clinging to the side of the stage lights, I get a proper view of the chaos down below.

People are running in terror, cops and the gun-men are fighting it out and in the centre, towering over a surprised Brook (OH MY ODA! THE BROOK! He looks just like he does in on his CD covers!) are the two assailants responsible for this.

'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE CLOWN!?' a blonde haired guy shouts. His outfit isn't exactly anything special: just a simple pink top and a pair of shades. The other guy, on the other hand, is far too dressed up for his own good.

'"The Jester" does not answer to ignorant fools,' the man replies with a mad cackle. 'Especially guys like you who can't take a joke!'

'Just beat it big nose,' the blonde guy spits back with a laugh. 'I've got a bone to pick with somebody and it ain't you.'

'Hey, I was here first,' the clown faced man insists. 'I will be the one to flashily take revenge upon Soul King Brook!'

'Have we met?' the soul king timidly speaks up, looking as white as a sheet…though I suppose he was rather white anyway, being a skeleton and all. HA! SKULL JOKE!~

…Oh come on, let me have one. I might never have the chance to make a joke like this again.

Spotting the clown giving Brook a glare, I decide it's time to act.

With a quick fiddle of the light I'm on, the spotlight turns on, burning down on the two strangers. As the blonde and the clown shield their eyes, I leap down and stretch back two arms to send them flying off the stage.

The attacks connect and the two soar backwards, colliding with some railings set up to keep the public back from the performers. I turn back to Brook and offer the musician a smile. It's all I can do to stop myself from shaking at being this close to a legend.

'Okay, I've heard of being upstaged by the opening act but this is a little extreme, don't you think?' I joke, offering a hand to the Soul King.

Brook stares at me in bemusement for a second, before taking my hand and allowing me to pull him up.

'Er…thank you young man,' he mutters, obviously quite shocked by what has just happened.

'You're good but you might want to get out of here Mr. King,' I warn, glancing to the stirring men in charge on the floor. 'It looks like it's going to be one of those kind of days.'

'Right, of course,' Brook replies with a nervous nod. He dashes over to where one of his back-up singers is sitting, frozen in fear and helps her off stage as well. Already, some security guards are waiting to get the cast to safety. With a nod, I turn back to the rising individuals I attacked before.

'So,' I start awkwardly, crouching down on the stage to get a better look at my new opponents. 'Let me guess: you guys are the newest super-villains that this has vomited up to beat me, aren't you? What is it this time? One of you transforms into a poisonous gas that only effects people in scarlet tights and your buddy here has the ability to dress so bad it blinds me?' The blonde haired man growls as he heaves himself up off the floor.

'Not exactly,' he replies, punching the air…only for his fist to come flying forward.

Not expecting the extended punch, I take the blow straight to the chin and flop backwards on the stage.

I jerk my head up with a groan and stand back up, just in time to see the blonde haired guy strolling confidently towards me.

'Hey, I thought stretching was my thing,' I shout, pointing accusingly at the blonde. 'I'm going to my lawyer about this!'

Apparently, he doesn't take my taunt very well. Once more, he fires forwards his fist which shoots off like a spring to slam into my chest.

At the last moment, I lunge out of the way…only for another fist to fire from out of nowhere and smack me once more in the face, sending me flying back into a speaker.

As the speaker tumbles backwards, I nurse my injured head and look up at the other figure who had struck me.

Standing alongside the blonde, the clown smiles…and suddenly, I recognise him.

'Buggy? Wow, what happened to you? Finally decided to get in touch with your feminine side?' I ask, lifting myself up off the floor. Buggy, surprisingly, cackles at my words.

'That's funny. Keep laughing,' he encourages in a strained voice. 'Because now I've got the power to humiliate you like you did to me.'

'Have you seen what you're wearing? I don't need to do much to help with the whole humiliation thing,' I taunt with a grin. Buggy's smile finally snaps into a sneer.

His body begins to shake. With each tremble, bits of his body begin to peel away like loose pieces of skin.

First, his head floats upwards, then his chest, then his stomach.

His arms begin to shed into separate pieces and his legs hover away from his dark brown loafers.

My eyes bulge as his body separates into chunks.

Wielding twin knives in his hands, the clown laughs.

'Alright then boy, let's see you make your smart remarks without a head!' Buggy growls.

'And don't go forgetting about me red!' the blonde shouts, his limbs bulging into dark grey springs as he speaks. 'You've been making a mockery of my gang for quite a while but now, Bellamy the Hyena is now Ricochet!'

'And Buggy is now…The Laughing Man!'

'I thought you were Jester a few seconds ago,' Bellamy mutters, giving the oddly dressed man a glare. As the two super-villains approach, I start to walk backwards, suddenly taking in the situation at hand.

Fighting Predator, Waxwork and Monarch was bad enough but I had fought each of them separately.

Here were two new super freaks dedicated to my destruction who also were attacking me at the same time.

Giving a soft gulp as the two advance, I adopt a fighting pose.

'Er…quick Scarlet Lad, you deal with the ugly one and I'll deal with the other ugly one…oh wait, I don't have a sidekick, do I?' I mumble feebly, hoping to get one last joke in before the fight starts.

It works at least, considering the two start laughing together.

'Well, you know what else you don't have?' Buggy asks.

'A chance of beating us,' Bellamy finishes.

'If only I had a penny for every time I heard that,' I reply but my bravado falls flat against the increased odds.

I really need to work on getting a partner for this whole super hero thing.

* * *

_**? P.O.**__**V**_

Slowly, I open the door, peeking my head around to get a proper view.

He's not here of course. He's downstairs passed out on the floor.

I smirk. If I knew a few bottles of beer are enough to knock him out cold, I would have suggested a family drinking night ages ago.

Never the less, I'm careful as I step into the room, taking care to tread lightly among the discarded paper and clothes that litter the carpet. Mum's going to be furious with him when she finds out what a trash heap this place has turned into.

Half way across the room, I see it sitting on a nearby chair. It's calling to me like a siren. The black case. Trembling from excitement and fear, I gently un-clip the case and open it up.

I'd done my research on this thing...or rather, WE did our research on it. All of the possible things this compound could do. Mice exposed it showed a five hundred per cent rise in their attention span and their agility and strength increased dramatically.

It was all experimental of course but that's what we scientists do. We experiment and push the boundaries. Now, all that is needed now, is a human test.

I take one of the vials and pour a few drops of the sample into my own. Then, I put it back and pick up the next and do the same. Systematically taking a few drops from each of the vials at a time, I manage to slowly but surely fill up my own. It takes time of course and a lot of it but this way, he's much less likely to notice what's gone.

As I begin dripping the fifth vial into my own, my guilt starts to emerge. What am I doing? Abusing his trust like this, stealing something so rare and precious just for my own selfish needs?

I shook my head. No, no backing out now. I'd decided on this. My whole life, I wanted to be be somebody, to be something more than just the idiot at the back of the class. Let's face it, I'm not all that muscular or handsome or anything special really, especially compared to my friends, compared to those I admire most.

Chopper's a genius, Zoro and Sanji are super strong and Luffy, he's got Hancock AND Nami going after him. I want to be successful like that, I just want to mean something more than I already am and this is the best way I can get that.

Finishing the procedure and slipping the last vial back into the suitcase, I glance once more at the vials in the suitcase and the small vial of my own. I've got barely two ounces of the stuff but it's all I need for now: just to study it, see how it works, what elements it's made out of and how I can make more. I need to experiment with it a bit...maybe have a taste test to see if it really does...

'Usopp! You up there?' I freeze.

'J-just in the bathroom.'

'Okay then,' my mum replies. I find myself caught between wanting to smile and cry. So much conflict all for something so small...

But that small thing could change my life, change everything for the better.

'Pop green,' I mutter to myself, glancing at the small green liquid in my hand. 'We'll see what you do soon enough...'

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 4: Duality Principle Part 4**_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	16. Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 4

_**Okay, finally another chapter of our favourite Scarlet super-hero for you guys.**_

_**Sorry for the delay but that since going to University, I've developed that terrible pesky virus called a social life (I know, terrible, isn't it?) and that, essay work coupled with a fair share of my own lack of focus on things and general life issues cropping up has led to a long delay in not only updating any of my stories but also not replying to the some of the awesome people who message me (you know who you amazing people are if you read this).**_

_**But, now the next chapter is done and I'm ready to post it...**_

_**But before we begin, YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS!**_

_**It's shameless promotion time!**_

_**Say, do you like Fairy Tail?**_

_**Do you like Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of the greatest TV shows on the planet?**_

_**Have you ever wondered what would happen if these universes happened to collide?**_

_**No?**_

_**Neither have I.**_

_**But my Uni friend Pelthain has and he just so happens to have recently written a crossover about it called "An Avatar In Fiore". He's new to writing fan-fiction and also new to anime but his stuff is really good and I and he would appreciate it if you could check it out. We're probably going to even work together on a thing at some point.**_

_**So if you like either of the aforementioned things or just fancy reading something, check him out at the link below and thank you very much:**_

_**Also, another Uni friend of mine (RoystonDA) has been writing a Star Wars fan-fic based around an old film series he tried to make with a few friends. With new characters and new adventures in store, all Star Wars fans who love some good Jedi and Sith conflict would be insane to pass up this good a read. Again, thanks for taking a look.**_

_**For those of you read Search the Wind, yes. Yes this is an edited message of that and no, no I'm not ashamed of that.**_

_**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Duality Principle Act 4**_

_**Usopp P.O.V**_

A large amount of dust has made itself happily at home inside my basement. I stifle back a cough at how solid the air is as I open the door.

Plunging into the thick tangle of cobwebs and dust, I shut the door behind me. Something brushes against my head and I almost jump out of my skin. Just the light switch though. I take a quick moment to shove my heart back down my throat into my chest before flicking it on.

As the light flares on, flies race out of the woodwork, drawn to the new source of light. I shiver as one zooms right past my ear. I've decided now though.

I'm going, I have to keep going.

Each wooden stair creaks, groaning under my weight. I move as quietly as possible, don't want my family to know what I'm doing.

Uncle Heracles would kill me.

The rest of the basement is just as dusty as the staircase. Stacks of shelves rise up on all sides, tools strewn about here and there. In the dull light, I spot exactly what I need and reach over to grab it.

Goggles, check.

Bunsen burner, check.

Vice to hold vial, check.

Flask, check.

Microscope, check.

I smile, dropping each item on the table to the side.

A long time ago, the basement was used a lot more regularly.

Back when I was a kid, my Dad had his own little workshop down here. He was obsessed with building things. One day, he'd fix up a new door for the kitchen, the next he'd start tinkering with some old record player and making model airplanes.

Sadly, as I got older, so did Dad.

I've never really asked why he just gave it all up like he did but I'm guessing it was just bad time management. This is still the best place for my experiment though, nice and out of the way.

Plus, it has all the tools I'll need to make this work.

I slip out the Pop Green vial from my pocket. I open the vial and carefully lower the vial towards a sample dish. A simple green droplet falls onto the dish, exactly what I need to start this experiment. I grab myself a stool: rusted and broken as it may be, it still lets me sit down level with the device. I lean forwards, pressing my eye to the lenses. Particles bounce left and right.

It's…simply fascinating.

I reach into my other pocket and take out my tape recorder. With a click, it starts recording.

"Pop Green experimentation: Journal Entry number one," I say into the tape recorder. "I've been studying the sample and running it by my uncle's notes as well as adding the research of other experts into the equation. Now, theoretically, Pop Green does indeed contain certain stimulants that are present within the body. When they were last exposed to someone, they say he spent a few days without sleep, surviving only on the energy of the chemical itself. Of course, drinking it wasn't exactly a sensible plan considering all of his hair fell out and spent the next year in physical therapy to get over it…but I'm not going to drink it at all."

I pause for dramatic effect.

"I'm going to smoke it!"

"Okay, that sounds stupid, but it's a good idea. You see, a huge dose overworked the average human body. It kept it going at almost super-human levels but the crash afterwards caused a lot of strain. If I only have a small gaseous dose of the product instead of drinking it, the effects should differ greatly…not only that but, and this is purely theoretical mind you, it might function as some kind of performance enhancer…yeah, I know that's just a cleaner word for steroid but if this works well enough, then my projected output levels, they'd make me…like, I don't know, Superman or something."

A terrible overstatement but I'm not really one for words…and right now, I'm about to make history.

"Alright, here goes nothing. Will feedback with more reports in Journal entry two. Wish me luck." Clicking the record button once again to shut off the tape recorder, I put it to one side on the desk. Good thing my dad had an old thing like that lying around. It'll allow me to record my experiments without being too suspicious by using something like a camcorder.

Plus, I doubt anyone nowadays knows how to properly work one of those.

Slowly, I turn to my equipment and start setting up.

I take the Pop Green and pour into a vial for the experiment. I leave enough space for some gas to brew and I put a stopper on top of the vial. Then, I place the vial into the vice's grip. Adjusting the vice, I leave the Pop Green sitting over the unlit Bunsen burner. To remedy this, I hook up the Bunsen burner into a gas tap. I reach into my pocket and grab a match. With a simple scrape along the edge, a bright flame bursts into life, flickering gently in the darkness. I click the goggles into piece over my eyes and watch calmly as the Pop Green begins to dissipate into a wispy cloud of green air.

A smile comes to my lips as I observe it swirling in beautiful grace. When the whole vial becomes swamped in the gas, I switch off the gas and grab a pair of gloves. Slipping them on, I grab hold of the vial of Pop Green. My hand starts trembling, a smile passes my lips.

It looks so beautiful…and it's here!

My moment, the moment I become a great scientist.

The moment I unlock the secrets behind genetic mutation are staring me straight in the face.

Not even the other guys have thought to do this before, what a ripoff, right? They keep injecting it into bodies, distilling it in an attempt to utilise its properties. They say it could be the greatest steroid ever created if we just worked out how to use it without corroding the body and working it to an early grave. But no-one figured out how to make it effectively work…

Until now!

Until me!

I can make it work, I know I can…I just need to test it.

The warmth of the vial passes through me as I grab hold of the vial's lid. It comes off with a gentle pop. I inhale the steaming gas from the Pop Green, sucking it into my nostrils. The smell tickles my nostrils. Small doses in gaseous form, that's what I need. It'll increase my strength, intelligence…my…my…

Then, my head starts swimming, my brain starts tingling.

I feel I'm going to be sick.

I try to breathe but find it can't.

Something is stopping me from and…

I…

My head…

The floor…

Why can't…

My…

Smash…

I feel just…

Glass all over the…

Pop…Green

Kaya…Luffy…Scarlet…

Hero…

I want to be a Hero…

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

This is bad. There's no way I can look at this that isn't bad. Two against one. Ricochet and Buggy both gunning for the Scarlet Wind. I know I felt really proud at having to face my first super-villain a week ago but having to face two so soon? Someone out there in the Dawn City crime racket really wants me dead. I mean, doesn't the big crime boss know anything about dramatic timing? The villain team-ups are for way later on, not for your super hero's fourth big throw-down.

"Okay, so who's first?" I ask. The clown and the blonde look to one another.

"First?"

"Yeah, I mean who I am fighting first? Who gets first dibs at taking down the Scarlet Wind?" I clarify, glancing between them. The two burst out in unified laughter.

"What? Did you expect us to take turns?" Buggy inquires.

"Sort of…" I squeak in reply. The two laugh again.

"Nice try kid, but me and…whatever he's calling himself are taking you down!" Ricochet growls, slamming his fist into his other hand.

"So you're fine with sharing the glory for defeating Dawn City's number one superhero?" I query. I have to keep trying to split them up. Divide and conquer and all that. I think I've learned my lesson from Predator to be careful about the people I take on. Separating these two idiots to deal with one at a time works so much better than fighting them both at once. At my words, laughter is in the air once more.

"Of course not! I'm just going to betray him as soon as you're out of the way." As Ricochet and Buggy share a look of confusion at the other's words, I feel a smirk tug of my lips. We have a winner.

"What!? How dare you think of betraying me?" Buggy shrieks, a disembodied hand jabbing Bellamy in his shoulder.

"You just said you were planning to betray me too," Ricochet shouts.

"Well my flashy plan was only a contingency if you planned to un-flashily end our new partnership," Buggy retorts.

"I…" The blonde recovers from the verbal assault and quickly assesses the situation. "Right, stop it. This is his fault."

"You're the one turning against me here!" Buggy complains, his phantom hand gripping Ricochet's shirt.

"No, you idiot. He's trying to turn us against each other," Bellamy points out. Buggy's eyes almost pop out of his skull at this revelation.

"He is?"

"Wow, I am so dumb, you guys clearly saw through my deception," I comment, sarcasm dribbling from my mouth.

With the two idiots distracted, I've taken my chance to find some way to create an opening. My stretched hand has already grabbed hold of what I need. As I swing it forwards, I smirk widely and announce "Here's your prize!"

The 'prize' as it turns out is a large all-expenses paid drum which smashes straight into Ricochet's face. A loud clang rings out as the drum makes impact with Bellamy's face. Taking advantage of this distraction, I lash out with a rubber leg, breaking through the skin of the drum. The blow must have injured Ricochet somehow as he lurches backwards, tumbling off the stage and falling into the area below. With one super-villain dealt with for the moment, I turn my attention towards Buggy, who looks surprised at my strike.

"Alright chuckles," I say, smashing my fist into my palm before rounding on Buggy. "Let's see if I can wipe that stupid grin off of your fat face."

I fire off my rubber fist straight at Buggy's stomach…only for the clown's mid-section to slide calmly out of the way.

Buggy smirks, grabbing my stretched out hand and tugging it forwards. Finding myself yanked off my feet, I have no choice but to collide head first with Buggy's disembodied leg. Oddly, the kick lacks the pointed edge I'd expect of a shoe and feels more like being smacked with a blunt bat. I fly across the arena only to be kicked back down to the stage by a sudden strike.

Picking myself up off the ground, I look back to see Ricochet crouching on the floor with a grin on his face.

With a quick step forwards, he's shooting straight towards me. Pushing my hands and feet against the floor, I jump out of the way and Bellamy springs forwards into Buggy's body. The clown's head grunts as his chest is smashed into a nearby wall.

"Hey, watch it blondie! Even though I'm separated from those parts they're still part of my body," he shouts. Ricochet grunts in reply, acknowledging the statement as he tries to pull his spring arms from the cracked wall they've been driven into by the force of his speed. In the brief confusion, I stretch down from my perch atop the stage and grab hold of Buggy's separated head. The clown lets out a yelp of confusion as I pull it towards me.

"Oh, I've always wanted to do this," I mutter with a grin, holding big nose's head in one hand as I place the other against my forehead as if in dramatic shock. "Alas poor Buggy, I knew him well."

"I'M NO SKULL ASSHOLE!' Buggy snaps. 'AND YOU'RE SAYING THE QUOTE WRONG!"

"Careful there Bug-bug," I taunt, tapping the clown's skull. "No need to lose your head…oh wait…" Buggy's teeth grind together at my words and he screams.

"BODY! COME!" Somehow hearing Buggy's command without ears, the parts of Buggy's body-parts fly together once more and form into a headless and footless form that floats nearby. Buggy's body holds out two knives in its hands and gestures to be ready for his attack. At that moment, Ricochet finally breaks free from the wall and springs up from the wall towards me. Spotting him approaching, I leap out of the way towards the stage floor, throwing Buggy's head towards him with all of my strength.

"Heads up!" I cry with a childish chuckle. Ricochet manages to catch the head but, much like before, he fails in slowing his speed and smashes into the roof of the stadium. Taking this weakness for turning in mind, I adjust myself to properly land on the stage, keeping an eye on Buggy's body, which has grown rigid with shock at its master's incapacity. Buggy's connected to his body and he has to command it to move for it to do so.

That could be another helpful hint to beating these too and considering I'm outnumbered, I'd like to get as much as an advantage as I can.

Any weaknesses at all I can figure out will help me to no end.

Taking advantage of its inability to move, I race forwards and grab Buggy's limp body. Quickly, I glance over the body, scanning for any signs of weakness. The clown's gaudy coat flaps in a sudden breeze, revealing the simple striped shirt underneath. His legs sit, limp and footless and…what? I blink and take in the sight once more. Footless? Buggy doesn't have his feet? Where are his feet? Why aren't his feet there? Maybe that's the key to his…

"Spring snipe!" The blow comes at me far too quickly and strikes me straight in the back of my head. I stagger forwards as Ricochet soars overhead. I raise my head quickly enough to see Ricochet on the rebound, bouncing back off of stage to strike me firmly in the chest.

His fist pumps forward on a spring, sending me flying backwards…only to be interrupted by a dismembered arm interrupting my flight striking across the centre of my back. I let out a gasp of air, which is promptly cut off by Buggy's severed hands wrapping around my neck. I open my eyes just enough to see Ricochet advancing towards me once more, the springs on his arms tensing as he prepares to strike.

"Spring pop-loaded barrage," he yelled, springing both fists into my stomach.

The two punches cause my whole belly to ripple. Trapped between Buggy's arm and Ricochet's attack, I feel my insides bouncing back and forth uncontrollably. For a moment, I feel like I'm about to throw up. Swallowing the urge to vomit (and most of the already mentioned puke), I reach up with both legs and kick outwards into Ricochet's face. The blonde thug recoils, blood dribbling from his nose. Quickly adapting to the situation, he reaches up and grabs my legs with his arms.

For a moment, I'm left in surprise as Ricochet, springs backwards at high speed, his spring-like arms unravelling like a snake. I realise what he's doing too late as with a swift tug of his spring-arms, I'm dragged through the air, Buggy's hands still wrapped around my neck. Ricochet flips through the air, lifting me other his head. Half-way through the flip, just as I'm directly over the floor, Ricochet releases me only to fire both of his spring fists into me once more. I hit the floor, making a sizable dent as Ricochet kicks his two spring feet into my back as a follow-up attack.

I try and push myself up quickly off the floor, only for another sudden blow to kick me up off the floor. I glance up, catching Buggy's foot now once more attached to his leg lurking just near my chest. Bastard had added a pointed knife to it. I could feel the cut tracing where the foot had made impact.

"So much for the Scarlet Wind, huh?" I hear Buggy shout as his unattached foot goes to kick me once again. With a quick movement of my hands, I catch the foot (and the blade…OW) and manage to hold it in place, giving me enough time to find my feet. Wincing at the pain in my palm, I lift up the legs and fling them to one side. Buggy's body parts go flying, his feet leaving the ground. The instant they do, I hear a loud shriek as Buggy's head and upper body whisk past my eyes and collide together on the stage. The clown appears more surprised at his sudden reformation rather than injured.

"Big words from the guys who could only fight me whilst tag-teaming together," I growl through a bloodied lip. "You know, Predator is really disapproving of you guys right now." This time, I'm ready for Ricochet as he soars towards me from behind. Giving the super-villain a taste of his own medicine, I flip backwards over him, launching my legs downwards as he soars underneath me.

Tragically torn between his propulsion forwards and my own attack downwards, Ricochet cartwheels along the floor, colliding with the stage. From there, I land on the floor, crouched with my fist touching the floor. My whole body judders for a moment. Ah, that rib isn't doing too well down there. I'll have to snap that back into place later.

"That leopard freak can whine as much as he wants," Buggy shrill voice calls to me. "Because I'm…" Ricochet's fist crashes out of the stage an inch from Buggy's foot. "I mean WE'RE about to accomplish something that even a professional killer couldn't do: best the Scarlet Wind."

"You know, just for once, I'd like a villain who could realistically assess a fight with me," I mutter under my breath. "Then again, when you scrape the bottom of the barrel…"

"I'LL SHOW YOU BOTTOM OF THE BARREL!" Ricochet yells, springing up out of the floorboards. Buggy smirks as his top half begins levitating once more. Together, the two super-villains charge at me. Getting to ready for a quick retreat to re-think my strategy, a sudden thought enters my head.

I just abandoned Nami to fight these goons. She's going to be so pissed…

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

Pissed did not begin to describe my current emotional state.

"Let go of me!" I shout, shaking off a police officer's hand from my shoulder.

"Miss, please you have to come with me," he says, pulling me along out of the door. "It's not safe in here." Back within the concert area, sounds of loud crashing fills the air. I only got a picture or two from the fight: one of the two villains and a pretty good one of Scarlet swinging in. Wow, he looked so awesome!

"No, no, I'm with the paper, you can't just pull me…"

Like he was going to listen to that.

"I have pictures that I need to…"

Again, no response. I soon find myself being ushered out of the room into the new plaza. I and my new police escort race through the front door to the concert arena. Outside, screams and sirens fill the air. Flashing blue and red lights dance against the buildings. The police have arrived pretty quickly, already setting up a barricade around the plaza. It hasn't stopped the press getting as close as they can.

Everyone who got out of the concert hall is currently gathered behind one of the lines with those who were injured in the stampede standing around an ambulance. I glance back over my shoulder and watch my new story, a prime picture taking spot, getting further and further away. Something in me snaps and without warning, I kick forwards catching the police officer dragging me on his ass. Not expecting the blow, he buckles just enough for me to slip my arm out of his grasp.

"Miss, please," his voice calls out again, catching hold of my other arm before I can successfully make my break to freedom. "I've already told you that…"

"Listen here officer," I snap back. "That's a nice shiny badge and all but I've got a story waiting in there and I need to take pictures!" The police officer recoils, his face in complete shock. "No offense, but there's only one person in the world who can boss me about and last I checked, I don't think you're my…"

"Nami!?"

Speak of the devil.

Bellemere is strolling over with a small group of her unit behind her. Looks like she was the one who responded to this. Of course, just my luck.  
"Mummy dearest!" I shout, wrenching my arm from the officer's loose grip. She does not look pleased.

"What are you doing?"

Okay Nami, stay calm. You can think your way out of a grounding here.

"I was just…"  
"She was fighting back and denying my request that she evacuate," the police officer finishes before I have a chance to speak.

"Tattletale," I mutter in dejection. Mummy dearest doesn't take kindly to that either.

"Excuse me!?" Bellemere shrieks, looking absolutely livid now.

"Alright, you're excused," I reply before I can stop myself. I know my fate is sealed the instant the words reach Bellemere's ear. Watching mum get this mad, it's like something out of a werewolf movie. There's the violent shaking, the ominous glare and, of course, the ghostly wail.

"CAR. NOW. GROUNDED," Bellemere thunders and my feet move of their own accord. Before I can think, I'm in the back of her police car, right where the criminals sit. This is where Bellemere usually does her interrogations with the real hardball criminals, keeps the pressure on them until they break…

And now she's going to do that to me…

Sure enough, after a few minutes of silent disgrace, Bellemere's head pops in through the window levelling her fiercest glare in my direction.

"Young lady, do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?"

"I can imagine…" I don't dare raise my voice above a whisper. "Bellemere…I'm sorry, but…I…I wanted to get a story, have Shiki promote me on the paper."

"Oh, well if that's all, I suppose there's no issue."

"Really?"

"No." Like I said, hardball. "Nami, I told you when I got you the job at that paper that you should NEVER trust Shiki. The man is all about business. You'll be promoted one moment and fired the next as long as he no longer needs you. More importantly, however, YOU do not EVER risk your life for some stupid piece of journalism ever again, got it?"

"But Bellemere…"

"Nami, you're a teenager. Before you're a reporter or a photographer for the Grand Line Times you are my little girl and I will not have you try and kill yourself chasing after these…these freaks."

"But…" My response peters out when I see the firm look on Bellemere's face. "Yeah…okay Mum…"

"We'll talk more about this later. First off, I need to sort out what's happening here," she said before turning around. For a moment, she moved to walk away but she stopped and froze in her path, as if she was having some sort of fit. I opened my mouth to say something but Bellemere beat me to the punch, wheeling back around towards the car.

"Where's Luffy?"

"What?"

"Luffy, Genzo said you came here with him on a date."

"Bellemere, it was not a…" I start to rant, only for the situation to suddenly sink in halfway through my sentence.

Luffy.

Where's Luffy?

I didn't see him when I came out of the concert hall.

Bellemere hasn't seen him in the evacuated area.

So that means that…

Oh no…

"Luffy," I say outloud and push myself hard against the car door. It swings open, quick enough to send Bellemere stumbling backwards as I leap out the door and make a mad dash for the concert hall. Luffy. Got to save Luffy. Got to find him.

"No you don't," Bellemere shouts, already anticipating what I'm doing. She lashes out and manages to hold me back.

"Mum, he's in there all alone whilst that super powered brawl is going on, I have to get in there. I have to help!"

"Didn't we just get finished talking about this?" Bellemere responds, grabbing both of my wrists and forcing me to look at her. "You are not going to throw yourself in harms danger for anyone-"

"Well, that's what your buddy does right?" Bellemere looks at a loss.

"What?"

"The Scarlet Wind," I counter. "You let him go about breaking the law and saving people, why won't you let me go in there and help?"

Bellemere opens her mouth to respond, probably another loud shout about me lacking super powers or tight spandex, when she's cut off by an echoing crash from behind me. We wheel round, as do all of the officers in the vicinity.

Above the concert hall, illuminated in the moonlight, shards of the roof come flying off as a shadow emerges from the area. A black spot soars upwards from the destroyed part of the roof, accompanied by screams of awe from the watching public. The spot seems to make contact with one of the shards of roof and then, with an audible pop, the speck in the distance starts to grow closer, rocketing towards us at immense speed.

I feel something grab my hand and panic for a second only to realise it's Bellemere who's grabbed my hand. She shoves me, roughly as well I might add, around the back of the police car. Her lips move as if she's saying something but I can't hear what she says. There's too much screaming and shouting. I assume I understand and remain behind the police car, my head peeking up over the bonnet.

In the centre of the plaza, I can see the spot has now become a visible person…no wait, two visible people and…

My eyes shoot wide open. Oh god.

Is that Scarlet and he's…flying backwards right at…

I crouch down behind the car and close my eyes as I hear the audible smash. A groan escapes from nearby and, finally giving way to curiosity, I scurry round the side of the car and glance around the bumper.

There, body dented into the car and his outfit looking dustier and grimy than I had previously ever seen, is the Scarlet Wind.

My mouth just hangs open.

I can't believe it.

A real-life superhero this close to me.

I'd never seen the city's legend this close up before but…damn, this superhero thing had done a number on him, hadn't it? He was covered in cuts and bruises. Even his straw-hat sat lopsided on his head. Despite that though…wow was he in good shape. I mean, you could see it under the spandex. It was pressed so tightly to his skin, like rubber. This close, you could make out every ripple and…holy crap, how many muscles did this guy have? Good god, it was like staring at one of those old wash boards people used to wash clothes. Was every part of his body so muscular…

No Nami, eyes up! Eyes up! And…wow…

No, no. I was not one of those stupid superhero fangirls who ran around after…

But oh, he was gorgeous! I mean, the muscles and the hair and the…oh, he was…

I'm pretty sure I was just sitting there staring at him like a complete idiot for the longest time but, really, it must have been only a few seconds because Bellemere seems to approach him in slow motion and bark something at me.

"What?" I mutter, still feeling dazed.

"Help me get him," Bellemere repeats. Time seems to shift into fast-forward as I spring up to my feet and help my mother pull the dazed hero out of the dent he had made in her police car. I grab onto his arm to move him and can't help but blush as I feel him tensing his muscles at the touch.

Crap, this guy must have been some sort of weight lifter or something.

It didn't make sense considering how thin he was but somehow, this guy was built to perfection. Oh god, my face must have been so red and…my mouth was wet.

Was I drooling? I was drooling? No! No no!

Quickly, I took my free hand and wiped my face. Just in time too because as Bellemere and I wrench Scarlet out of the car wreckage, he turns to me and smirks.

"Anyone get the license plate of that fist?" I can't help it. Despite the imminent terror and my closeness to a superhero that was…well, I've already used the word wow and that seems to work quite nicely, yeah WOW, I let out a giggle. Something warm pulses inside me. Scarlet's smile, however, seems to fade as he looks at me. A small twitch in his cheeks but a noticeable one. I feel my whole body got hot. Was it something I said? Something I did? Did he recognise me? What was…

Sadly, our moment together is interrupted as a long twisted arm comes flying out of nowhere and grabs hold of Scarlet's costume.

I and Bellemere pause for a moment.

Scarlet has no such hesitation.

In a flash, his hands whirl round and push us away just in time as the arm holding him tenses and whips backward, pulling him forwards through the air. I flinch as I bang my back into a lamppost and quickly readjust myself to see Scarlet's plight.

The arm belongs to the blonde spring man who had brought Scarlet out here. He winds back a fist ready to strike Scarlet as he comes close but Scarlet is ready for that. He digs his heels into the ground before reaching the man and then, when he throws a spring loaded punch, Scarlet ducks under it before reaching a hand up, grabbing the man's shaggy blonde hair and pulling his head down to make contact with his knee. The attack hits with an audible snap and the spring man's head lurches backwards, blood flying into the air.

Before he gets a chance to escape, Scarlet grabs hold of the arm he had punched with and then spins around, pulling hard on the arm and throwing the man over his shoulder. As the spring-man goes to hit the ground, Scarlet follows up with a roundhouse kick, sending him cartwheeling over along the floor. I watch the whole fight and can't help but feel the sparking pulse within me growing. He wasn't just strong he was dexterous as well. He seemed to curl around any attack, bending to any angle to get a proper hit.

Sadly, the spring-man wasn't down for long and Scarlet wasn't given much of a respite regardless. Just as he gets ready to strike again, a disembodied hand flies out of nowhere and grabs hold of Scarlet's leg. Before he has a change to react, the hand flies forwards, dragging Scarlet's leg forwards and sending his whole body off balance and crashing to the ground.

I wince as, noticeably, do all of the other officers present. Scarlet moves to stand up, only for the rest of the body to come landing on his chest in the form of…

Wait, is that Professor Buggy? Our old Maths class teacher? What the heck is doing and…what the heck is he wearing? Even in a fight with a spandex wearing superhero those clothes must have looked ridiculous…

"Greetings and salutations sheep of Dawn City," Buggy announces, taking a bow on top of Scarlet's body. "I am Buggy Palazzo…or, as you may know me now as, The Jester, the clown prince of crime!"

"Hate to interrupt you jingles but that's somebody else," Scarlet shouts as he rolls out from under Buggy's legs. Buggy, or Jester, whatever he is now, curses only to steady himself, in mid-air no less, as Scarlet springs to his feet once more.

"You flashy bastard, can't you see I'm busy addressing the good citizens of this city about your upcoming imminent defeat."

Scarlet opens his mouth, most likely planning to let out a witty retort but before he can reply, the spring-man races in and smashes into Scarlet's side, sending him flying to the floor. Scarlet recovers quickly but the spring-man doesn't let up, constantly punching forwards with his spring fists.

Scarlet weaves between each attack with ease, as graceful as a dancer or maybe even a gymnast. It's like poetry in motion watching him fight, each attack and each parried blow flowed with a strange kind of elegance. Scarlet nimbly dodged around each attack, vaulting over the spring-man's arms and swaying with the rhythm of the battle. All the while, Buggy continued to rant on and on about how close he and his new ally were to victory. I and a majority of the police officers in the area simply watch the fight with wide eyes, unwilling to interfere.

Even when Bellemere shouts at them to get moving and start keeping a perimeter around the battle until highly trained reinforcements arrive to deal with the situation, I can still see them watching the fight out of the corner of their eyes. This fight between men with powers so strange and incredible it hardly feels real to be standing so close to it all.

It's clear to them that the audience aren't in any real danger for the moment.

Scarlet is keeping their attention on himself…and he knows it as well.

The quips, his fighting style and fleeting nature, he's trying to keep the focus of these freaks on him instead of on anyone else.

My hearts pounding and my head is swimming but I refocus myself solely on Scarlet, watching him move.

Fighting for the sole purpose of defending the innocent, people you probably will never even meet.

That is what being a hero, being The Scarlet Wind, is all about.

I feel my legs shaking as I watch him.

If only I get a chance to talk to someone this strong and noble.

What kind of wise things would I learn?

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

Man this outfit tends to ride up in crotch! I mean, when I placed my order with Bon, I don't think I added extra itching powder near the groin. Just fighting like this, I can feel the lower half of my body just twitching uncomfortably. It's taking all my willpower not to just reach down and give it a good scratch…because, yeah, that's what people want to see in their heroes: ball scratching! Classy…

Ricochet punches forwards once more and this time, Buggy's gotten tired of waiting for his turn.

"Flashy attack," he announces, launching his stumpy legs forwards to kick me from the side. I block one of Buggy's kicks but the other makes contact and the distraction is enough for Ricochet to get in a solid punch sending me soaring backwards.

Before I even hit the ground, I'm sadly met by a layer of glass as I fly through the concert hall window. Shards of glass slash through my skin, once more making a mess of Bon's handiwork. Man, I'm lucky I'm not paying for any of this stuff. I can't think of how much money I'd be forking over every week to fix my costume when this stuff keeps happening. Bon's not going to be pleased I've killed another one of his babies again…but then again, he's never really happy so that's fine.

Quickly, I leap to my feet again, somewhat staggering as I notice the shards of glass decorating the floor. The main lobby is desolate, as to be expected and right behind me is a straight path into the main concert area. Silence rules here…except for a small series of squeaks coming from nearby. Glancing, I take in Buggy's clown-like shoes pacing patiently along in place near the wall. One foot is never off the floor for long. Interesting…

I turn back to the entrance I've just crashed through to see Ricochet approaching. He smirks as he looks at me.

"Looking pretty shabby for a big time super-hero now, aren't we?" he observes with a cackle of glee.

"You think I look bad? Have you looked in a mirror that isn't cracked yet? I'm pretty sure the whole mop for hair thing was popular when you were a kid…but kind of out of fashion now." This hits a nerve. Good.

"Nobody mocks Bellamy the Hyena!" he shouts, preparing to charge at me.

"Aw, but you make it so eaasssssy!~" I whine before his attack. 'Bellamy the Hyena' lets out a scream of rage as he springs forwards at full speed…only to be vaulted over as he continues soaring forwards into the concert stage at the other end of the hall. I let out a wince as I hear a clang of symbols behind me.

"Honestly, when will you guys ever learn not to fall for the whole bull fighter thing?" I comment, walking calmly towards the exit. I've got a small window of time now before Ricochet gets back in the game. If I use that time to take out Buggy, then I should be able to deal with Ricochet no…

The feeling of a knife stabbing into my side ruins this small feeling of victory and I collapse onto my knees, grabbing at the wound as Buggy floats forwards, his hand returning to him with the knife in tow.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," he mumbles happily. "Remember? How you used to look down on me? How everyone used to look down on me!? Well, that was your mistake then, wasn't it? Because now your life rests in my hands. You and everybody will-"

Oh god, he's monologuing! Did no-one teach this guy the dos and don'ts of villains? I mean, they should make an academy for this stuff…well, they shouldn't because then I'd be out of a job pretty quickly but…ah, never mind that train of thought fell flat...and Buggy's still talking? Man, this guy just loves his own voice.

"And so, maybe people will think before they next cross my path, 'if only I'd have walked a mile in Buggy's shoes, then I'd understand how much of a tortured soul, a brewing mind, a fierce lover he was!"

"Walk a mile in your shoes eh?" I say, stretching a hand over towards Buggy's sneakers. The shoes try to escape my elastic grip but I successfully manage to grab hold of them by the back and pull them close to me. "These things? Because these things smell like you look…" Buggy's face twists from his forlorn frown to a complete scowl of rage.

"What the-get off of those!"

"I don't hear a please," I reply, shooting off my other arm out of the room. Grabbing hold of the edge of the shattered window frame, I'm able to pull myself off my knees and soaring back into the main plaza. Onlookers are still gathered watching the fight, police, paramedics…Nami.

I shake my head and refocus on the matter at hand.

"You see Bug-bug," I rant as I start to hold Buggy's feets under my arms. "I've noticed whenever you split off from the floor…your feet never really go anywhere, why is that?" Buggy's face turns pale. His mouth starts flapping.

"I-I-I…"

"You don't know, do you? And I don't know either…let's test this shall we?" I suggest, clumsily throwing Buggy's feet up into the air.

The instant the feet leave my hands, it's as if an invisible string has pulled at Buggy and he is sent flying in the air, hurtling towards his airborne shoes with a girlish scream. I watch his travel and wait impatiently for his landing, arms ready to shoot off with one final finishing blow. As Buggy reaches his shoes, his body parts all appear to snap together as usual, unable to fly off separately and unable to sustain Buggy's own twisted version of suspended flight. Suddenly, all of Buggy's powers seem worthless.

As gravity begins to take effect, Buggy lets off a scream as he starts falling, flailing pathetically in the air. Steadying myself, I pull back my right arm and then, just as Buggy finds himself right above my head, I punch upwards in an uppercut. The blow solidly connects with Buggy's jaw, a loud snapping noise echoing out around the plaza. Buggy goes upwards for a brief moment before gravity once more delivers him back down to the ground, his lip and nose bleeding, his cheeks puffed out and his jaw probably broken. I wince as I look upon his broken form.

I didn't mean to hurt him that much.

Slowly, I find myself approaching the clown to crouch beside him.

His face is as red as his nose.

"Yoh Buggy, you okay?" I ask. A strained groan emerges from behind Buggy's destroyed cheeks and I can't help but feel a little guilty for his current state. "Sorry Bug, didn't mean to hurt you so bad," I comment, scratching the back of my black head. "I thought your powers made you super resilient as well as split you up. If I'd have known that you had a glass jaw, I would have held back like usual."

Buggy's far too dazed to actually understand what I'm saying but I take him slumping down against the floor and snoozing in defeat a sign of his forgiveness. I shake my head at my luck. Man, to think that this guy had some of the more irritating with new powers and yet he was beaten with a single punch. It was unbelievable. Taking a deep breath of relief with the fighting done, I stand up and turn my head towards those watching.

"Hey, can we can a doctor over here?" I shout into the crowd. "He's out like a light so he shouldn't do anyone any…"

I stop speaking again as I feel something sharp stab straight into my back. I let out a gasp of pain and spin around, lashing out with a kick. Ricochet leaps out of the way and cackles as he stretches forwards with another spring arm, cutting my shoulder with another of Buggy's knives. I reach behind me, wrenching the knife out of my back before throwing it towards Ricochet. He dodges out of the way, springing to one side and then bouncing around, keeping his distance. I wince as my shoulder clicks.

Damn, that cuts deep.

I've got to have some sort of healing factor right?

It's the only way to explain how I've not been completely destroyed after all the fights I've been in.

Either that or Bellemere's pain killers are freaking magic elixirs!

My body must be repairing itself at a higher rate…but shit, after all these fights and cowardly stabs in the back, I'm not feeling too hot. I stagger forwards, clutching at my arm. You know what the world needs: a superhero doctor. Someone who professionally fixes you up, asks no questions and has no personal info on you, patches you up for free and then lets you go on your merry way…

Then again, I'd also be nice to be an invulnerable alien who can take bullets like a wall takes an elastic band…but we can't have everything can we.

My mind snaps back to reality as something rips past me through the air. I glance in the direction only to have something race past me on my other side. I look up to follow the direction only for Ricochet to race straight in my direction. Again, I calmly leap up and over him and Ricochet keeps on going, only to rebound off another wall and circle past me again. I watch him as he moves, bouncing from wall to wall, breaking the pavement as he lands to spring off. I let out a tired sigh.

"Bellamy, give it up. You can't win this," I shout. All I get in reply is an obnoxious laugh.

"You're kidding me right? I'm the one that can't win? What about you? All today you've been talking about how we had to team up, how we're not as strong as other villains but even you can't see how strong I am."

I open my mouth to reply only for Ricochet to drop down from above right in front of me. I blink in surprise. How had he gotten there so fast? I hadn't even seen him move. Bellamy laughs and lashes forwards with a spring-loaded fist, hitting me exactly where I had hit Buggy. My whole body lurches. I take a single step backwards.

An audible snap echoes above my head and I suddenly realise that I can feel the wind in my hair a lot more than before.

My expression hardens.

The straw-hat.

Sabo's straw-hat.

He snapped it.

He snapped the cord for Sabo's straw-hat.

My whole body tenses.

Before I can make a move, however, Bellamy disappears once more, nothing but a blur around the area. I'll give him this much, Ricochet was accurate name. Dead-man would have worked just as well right now though.

"You're always dodging out of the way and running like a coward," Bellamy continues with a laugh. "Heck, I've been dominating this battle since it began and every time you break me I keep bouncing back. You, on the other hand, have tried your best but let's face it, you're not up to snuff. Heck, I doubt you even know how to throw a proper punch."

I said nothing. I remained completely still. The wind was swirling around me as Ricochet moved.

"I am the new power here Scarlet and soon, everybody's going to be working for me: Mr Zero, Don Krieg, The Tiger Gang. You're staring at the dawn of a new era and you're too blind to see it. That Jester and his Waxy friend had the right idea. When you get power, you use it and you use it for yourself. That's how we humans survive: survival of the fittest. Look at you though, wearing your little mask, your costume and your stupid straw-hat. Wake up Scarlet! You're all alone in this fight, there are no more heroes anymore!"

I swallow hard. Slowly, my fist lifts into the air. I remain still, staring straight ahead despite Ricochet's speed. He's arrogant. He's going to come at me from the front. He wants me to know it's him who's beating me.

"You asked," I say aloud, cracking my knuckles in one hand. "If I knew how to throw a punch…"

"You're too late Scarlet," Ricochet cries as he springs around. "Say goodbye, once and for all…"

There.

Mustering all my strength and all my speed, I punch in an arc straight down towards the floor. The blow comes just as Bellamy springs forwards in front of me. For an instant, time seems to slow down. I see every expression on Bellamy's face. Pride, victory. Then, as he sees the fist, his face starts to change. There's no time for the look of surprise to set properly in place, however. Before he even realises it, I've hit him straight in the head, burying his body skull first down into the plaza floor. Hard.

You know what makes whips hurt that much as a weapon? Usopp was telling me one time when he was reading a Cat-woman comic he'd borrowed from Kaya. Whips are such an effective weapon because the speed of their attack. You know that crack that a whip gives off? That's not the weapon making contact with the target. That's the whip breaking the sound barrier for the smallest part of a second. In other words, you just made a miniature sonic boom as you strike.

I hope that he's right about that because as my fist makes contact with Bellamy's face, the crack that roars up like thunder from my arm is the stuff that super powered dreams are made of. The rest of Bellamy's body is slower to respond than the head. His arms and legs flail for a moment before falling, like leaves, to the floor. Blood begins to pour out from his lips.

Unlike Buggy, I don't ask for an ambulance.

Instead, I just spit on the floor before Bellamy.

"Yeah," I mutter to myself in anger before walking away "I know how to throw a punch."

I turn around and look to the crowd for reply. The crowd has fallen completely silent. The paramedics rush through noticing the damage has been done but I catch them all giving me the evils as I walk fast. To be fair, I can't exactly blame them.

Tonight, I've gone a bit wilder that usual…either that or fighting those A-class super villains recently must mean I've stepped up my game.

The thought is comforting as I make my way over towards Bellemere. The police captain watches me pensively as I approach, her face blank of expression. I shrug my shoulders and all she can do is let out a sigh, placing a hand on her face.

"Sorry," I mutter.

"You keep making it difficult for me to keep defending you from the other officers when you do things like this."

"I know…I thought they were tougher."

"Well, clearly they weren't," Bellemere moans, more out of exasperation than irritation.

"I know," I growl, starting to get angry at myself in turn. "I'm just trying to help. If I weren't here, those guys would have…"

"I know that but everyone isn't sure about that. They don't know what to think about you."

"But…" The words stop in my throat as I catch a glance of a group of nearby onlookers sneaking back as I move my arms. My arm slumps to my side and I lower my head. "…yeah, I guess I can see why. I mean I did just…" My voice fades out again as I glance back to the site of my victory, the triumph tasting even more sour ever second. My head feels steadily heavier. I drop my gaze to the floor and give a sigh. "Some hero I turned out to be huh?…"

"But you are a hero." I snap up and turn.

Nami is standing not too far away beside Bellemere's police car.

Sabo's strawhat rests firmly in her grip.

She's not looking at me, her eyes instead trained to the floor.

Despite this, her words were like a song to my ear.

All I had ever wanted since I started this whole superhero thing was for someone to see I was trying to do good. If someone knew and someone appreciated it, then all this hassle and all this pain was worth it.

Constantly, it seemed like Nami kept being that person, for both Luffy and Scarlet. Someone who kept reminding me how many people I was making happy.

I must be staring at her because after a while, she give a timid glance (Timid? Since when was Nami timid?) up at me before averting her eyes again.

"I-I found your hat," she explains, presenting the battered hat forwards like a crown. I reach for her, accidently brushing my fingers against hers. As they touch, I feel a spark of energy through them. Nami jolts as well but hands over the hat and quickly takes a step back.

"Y-you did-" She must have heard herself talking because she cleared her throat and spoke again. "You did great."

"Thanks," I reply. For once, any witty retort or comment vanishes from my mind. I've known Nami since…well, forever, but I can't remember a moment when she's ever been more…more amazing. I open my mouth to say more but Bellemere steps between us, placing a hand on Nami's shoulder and giving me an intense stare.

"Scarlet, this is my daughter, Nami." She lingers longer on the word 'daughter' longer than usual and her grip on her little girl noticeably tightens. Well, it's a little redundant for introductions. I already know Na-OH! That's right, not Luffy right now, Scarlet. Scarlet doesn't know Nami. Plus, Scarlet keeps his cool and doesn't start staring at complete strangers because they may or may not make his stomach feel really funny. Stupid mystery feeling.

"Oh, so THIS is the infamous Nami?" I ask, taking a bold step back in horror and lifting a hand to my chest, before bowing low to the floor. "Your reputation proceeds you." Nice save Luffy, nice save. I bet she doesn't even know I know the word reputation. Nami grows noticeably pink and seems to shy behind her mother. Wow, who knew Nami was so modest in front of a celebrity…which I know am, keep reminding yourself that Luffy, don't break character.

You could barely lie to save your skin.

You're Scarlet now.

Let Scarlet lie, let him play his part and don't say anything stupid.

"Infamous?" Nami repeats the word in a squeak.

"Oh yes, your mother has told me so much about you," I tease, ignoring Bellemere's confusion.

"She has?"

"Yep…though I've got to say her words couldn't do justice to your beauty." I manage to catch both Nami and Bellemere off guard with that one. Strangely, the compliment seems to open up Nami a bit more.

"Well…your pictures don't tend to do justice to you either," she comments with a shy smile.

"Yeah, Shiki really needs to get his hands on some better photographers," I mutter. "You did a pretty good article though." She blushes again. I'm so close to laughing at how uncomfortable she looks.

"Y-you read my article?"

"Read it, cut it out, stuck it on my wall," I say with a wink. "You've got a very talented daughter Bellemere…then again, I'm guessing it runs in the family."

"Enough with the flirting Scarlet," the police captain orders but she dons a smile of mild approval at my comment. I shrug in reply.

"Can't we just have a nice talk without all of this drama?"

"No, we can't," Bellemere butt in, still smirking. I open my mouth to make another witty remark but Nami interrupts, practically leaping in front of her mother to speak to me.

"Wait a second Mr Scarlet…Scarlet sir?" Oh Oda, I'm so close to blowing a gasket right now. Did Nami just call me Mr? I feel my lip tremble and bite it to avoid bursting out giggling.

"What's up Nami?"

"I was just wondering if, in the concert hall when you were fighting those creeps you saw a friend of mine." I tilt my head in confusion.

"A friend of yours?"

"Yeah, black hair, dark eyes…" Oh…I can't be this cruel can I?

No, no I can.

"Skinny lanky guy?" I ask and Nami's face bursts into a smile.

"Yeah, you saw Luffy!? Did he make it okay? Is he alright?"

"Nothing to worry about," I reply, waving away her concerns. "I saw him running to the toilets just as the battle started. He must be hiding in there." Nami's face blooms into the happiest grin I've ever seen on her face.

"He's alive? He's okay? Oh that's…" And then, instantly, it's gone. "I'm gonna kill him. I am going to kill him! Making me worry like that and he's perfectly…I'm going to kill-" Bellemere starts laughing, blissfully unaware of my internal groaning. Okay, Scarlet may be having the time of his life but Luffy is so not ready to meet a Nami that looks this angry.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you and Luffy were here on a-"

"Bellemere, not now." No, now! What was she gonna say? What did she think we were here on? I open my mouth to inqure the answer…but sirens in the distance silence this thought.

"And that would be my cue to leave," I announce, shooting up an elastic arm towards the roof of the concert building. "Tell Smokey that I'm sorry I have to cancel our little date, things just weren't working between us. We were just two different for it to last."

"I'm sure he'll be heartbroken," Bellemere responds.

"Not as much as I will be," I reply, casting a look towards Nami as I shoot off. She's looking right back at me, staring into my face…at least, I hope she's looking at my face. As I angle myself and lash off with another rubber arm, I can't help but smile at how today turned out. I got to hang out with Nami, save Soul King Brook's life, I beat two, count 'em, TWO supervillains and I ended it all by flirting with my best friend and absolutely embarrassing her in front of her mum. Everything's so…

I almost fall in mid-air as the situation suddenly hits me.

Nami.

I was just flirting with Nami.

I had just been flirting with my best friend.

I was…I was in skin-tight spandex! She could see…

Oh Oda, she could see everything. Everything!

Why did Bon have to design this thing so skin-tight? Bon! He's gonna want to see the damage I've done again. I wonder if he's still up? Probably, I'll have to go there after meeting up with Nami…

Nami…I can't believe I flirted with

Most importantly though, as I swing down into the concert hall bathrooms to change back into my normal clothes, I realise that not only had been flirting with Nami, but all through it my stomach had been bubbling like crazy and I wasn't even hungry this time. Well, slightly less hungry than usual. Something was happening and I couldn't overlook it anymore. This mystery feeling, the one that keeps creeping up between me and Nami, it's not nothing anymore. It feels like something. Something big and happy and scary. But it definitely feels like something.

I bet she's totally embarrassed about the whole thing.

* * *

_**Nami P.O.V**_

I've never been all that into superheroes. The movies are alright but the comics are stupid and overall, they just seem kind of generic and silly. I'm much more of a real-life drama kind of gal, men and women working with real issues rather than playing around in mech suits and flying through the night dispensing their weird version of justice.

That was before now though.

One conversation.

It's more than most people have with a superhero and it's all it takes to completely hook me. I had thought it was silly when Kaya first told me she liked the Scarlet Wind. I mean, don't get me wrong, he looked attractive. I just don't usually have a thing for guys in masks. I mean, if they have to wear a mask, they've got to have some ugly face to hide right? Some kind of flaw they don't want the world to see.

Now, I think I'm even more hooked that she is because I can barely stand. As Scarlet vanishes, I have to lean against a pole just to stay on my feet.

Celebrity crushes are silly, I said to Usopp. They're just that, a crush and yeah, they still are.

But…wow…

Was he flirting? I think he was…

"No." I jump as Bellemere suddenly makes her announcement.

"What?"

"No," Bellemere repeats, casting me a knowing look. Whatever it is she knows though, I have no idea.

"No what?" I ask.

"No superhero boyfriends," Bellemere replies with a smirk. My cheeks are on fire again.

"I-I don't know what you mean." Wow, usually I'm much better at lying than that. Today I must be off my game.

"Who are you trying to kid? You were crushing from the second you saw him." That's Bellemere for you. You can definitely tell she was a detective before she became a captain. As I hang my head in the shame of the truth, Bellemere pats my head. "It's okay sweetie…but let's not tell Luffy. It'll break his poor heart." Oh great, just when I was feeling calm, there was my heartbeat again.

"What!?" I shriek, cheeks blazing bright once more.

"I'm just saying no poor boy can compare to a superhero."

"I don't like Scarlet!" I insist.

"What about Luffy then?"

"Bellemere!"

"I must admit I never had any idea you had a thing for men in uniform." I find myself completely speechless. Bellemere laughs as my mouth pops open.

"M-mother!" I shout.

"Oh, I'm just teasing, stop having such a soft skin," Bellemere responds with a wink. I fumble with my words and eventually, my hands drop to my side.

"Fine whatever."

"Get in the car sweetheart."

"What?" I look up to Bellemere as she starts walking away.

"Get in the car and stay there," Bellemere repeats. "This is police business and I'm not going to have your 'press instincts' messing with the clean-up."  
"Bellemere-" I begin to contest her decision but another glance tells me her decision was final and I did as I was told. Bellemere sighs with relief.

"Good…now I'll have a look around and see if I can find where Luffy is, considering that Smoker's here to deal with clean-up." As Bellemere mentions his name, the police captain lurches out of the crowd with his officers behind him. Bellemere wisely starts walking in the opposite direction from the mad captain but then ignores his shouts when he spots her crossing the plaza. I shake my head at her before slumping down against the car door.

Luffy.

How could I have forgotten he was here? Was a meeting with a real life superhero just too much for me to take? How did I almost forget to ask if he was okay? And was this his idea of a joke? Hiding in the bathroom? What if something had happened to him? Oh, I am definitely killing him when I find him, mark my words. If he isn't dead already…

The thought leaves me somewhat empty inside so I just settle for curling up on the seat and leaning against the wall. Time seems to pass by slower than I could have ever imagined. All the while, I find that I can't think of anything but my stupid idiot best friend.

Was he okay?

Had anything happened to him?

Was my morbid thought from before true?

What would I do if it was?

What would I do without Luffy?

The lack of response in my head is genuinely terrifying.

How much of a hold did this idiot have on my life?

The answer appeared to be growing every day.

* * *

After far too long of a delay, I hear a knock at the window. Turning my disinterested head to the knock, I am greeted by a familiar wide grin.  
"Hey Nami, cool concert right?"

He's…he's fine. No cuts, no scrapes, just that massive grin on his face. I pause for a moment to take in the situation. He's fine. He's unharmed. He's alive…

Though not for much longer!

I throw the car door open, causing him to stumble back in surprise as I bolt out to glare at him.

"You've got some nerve!"

"I know, I got to see a superhero fight. It was cool, right? What did I-" I crack my knuckles and he falls silent.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" I shout. Luffy pauses in thought.

"I'm guessing on a scale of 1-10…this is a bad?"

"Very bad, you idiot!"

"Oh…that bad?"

"You-" I pull back my fist ready to smack it into his smug idiot face…and then right before I swing, Luffy lifts up his finger and gently drags it near my left eye.

"Nami," he says in little more than a whisper. "Why are you crying? I'm fine." Not sure if Luffy's sentence was meant to calm me but it definitely had the opposite effect.

"That's why I'm fucking crying you idiot!" I slam my fist hard onto his chest. Luffy barely reacts. I hit him again and get the same lack of reply. The third time, however, Luffy finally opens his arms as I rush clumsily at him. I end up trapped in his arms, pressed into a tight little hug. It doesn't stop me from hitting his chest though so I do it again and again until the tears start coming stronger and I find myself unable to see because of the blur.

"It's okay Nami." I hear him call softly. "I'm okay, I'm okay."  
"You better be idiot," I tell him with a fierce growl. His arms press tightly around me and all at once, the tears just start to disappear. There's a strange lightness that comes with his firm arms holding me and it makes me smile into his chest. Luffy seems to feel my lips twitching because he starts laughing.

"See Nami, you're way better when you smile."

"Don't you think you're getting away with racing off and leaving me behind," I quickly point out, still staring at his shirt. His embrace feels warm and his chest feels surprisingly muscular. Odd really. Luffy always strikes me as quite thin and scrawny so it always shocks me a little that his hugs can be so tight.

"Sorry Nami, I got lost. I went off to get you something to remember the day by and then everything got all crazy and then I really needed a pee so…"

"Wait, what was that?" I snap back into reality "A…a present?"

"Oh yeah, I never did give you it," Luffy starts, completely straying from the subject as he reaches into his school bag. Disappointingly, I'm free of his arms now as he rummages. It takes a short while before he finally withdraws the intended item: a small brown bag.

He passes it to me and then, just like a child on Christmas, starts jumping up and down begging me to open it. I manage to hold back a laugh, still clinging to how angry and worried I was, as I unwrap the package. I don't know what I was expected to see as I opened it but one thing is for sure, Luffy certainly finds a way to keep the surprises coming.

Sitting in the brown paper is a small golden bracelet. Attached the bracelet on one side is a stylised compass. Tiny jewels appear encrusted underneath the compass needle whilst the needle itself shimmers silver. It's subtle and small but the engravings and the small stones make it look beautiful. This compass was made carefully and it must have cost…

"Luffy," I breathe,

"It's called a Log-pose," Luffy explains. "I was going to get you something better for today but I thought you'd like it and it could help you." I look to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Help me? How?"

"Well, the lady I bought it from said that Log-poses help guide people to what they want the most. I figured that next time you lose me like today, you could use it to find me again if you really wanted to."

"Oh, so you think you're what I want the most?" I ask. Despite my reservations on his reasons, however, I still slip on the bracelet. It fits perfectly.

"Well, why not? You're what I want the most." My whole body freezes up. A chill flows through my body and with it, I feel that feeling from before bubbling up inside me.

"W-what?" I stutter.

"Today I remembered how much fun hanging out with my friends, especially you, and I haven't done that a lot" Luffy continues. "I know I've been busy and distracted recently, you had to give me that pep talk the other day because of that...but I want you guys to know that no matter what happens, no matter how life happens, I don't want to lose touch with you guys." He stops for a moment, biting his lip and I find I'm hanging on his every word.

"I guess what I'm saying is…I need you Nami."

"I need you too," I reply without even thinking.

Luffy grins at me and my stomach decides to flip and start bubbling.

"So if you ever need to find me, then that should hopefully point the way," he says, putting his arms behind his head.

"And if you need to find me?" I ask in turn. He pauses for a moment, rolling his tongue around in his mouth.

"Well…let's just hope you're my north." For some reason, I find it impossible to hold myself back from stepping forwards and wrapping my arms around Luffy, smiling as I pull him tight against me.

"I hope I am too." Luffy's body goes rigid in surprise for a second. Then, his arms come up and hold me in turn. I close my eyes and just bask in the moment.

I need you Nami.

That was what he said.

He needed me.

Not just his friends, not Zoro or Robin or Usopp.

He needed me specifically.

I needed him too.

I didn't realise how much until I started thinking before of how things would be without him.

Not having Luffy in my life isn't a possibility in my mind.

Worse still, the answer as to why has been staring me in the face the whole time. All of the talks we have, the way I'm constantly worried about him, how jealous I get of Hancock (yes, I admit it, I feel jealous of Hancock) and all of the times he makes me feel…well, like this.

How could it have been so obvious all along? Robin was right. Everyone was right. I need to take a step back and face the facts.

I am in love with Monkey D. Luffy, my best friend and I can't deny it anymore.

* * *

_**Luffy P.O.V**_

Well, Nami seems to like her present…though I don't think we've ever hugged for this long before. It's odd with her clinging to me for no reason really but I hug her back anyway.

I like Nami hugs.

They're strong but not rib-crushingly so…which is good because I genuinely am not sure that my wounds could take another push. The stab wounds have closed up for now but I'm definitely going to have to see to them when I get home. Maybe I'll pop by Bon's on the way back, see if he's in. He can fix my suit…again and I can convince him to give me a bit of a patch-up.

"Luffy?" Nami suddenly says. I jerk out of my daydream to find her looking up at me. Her chocolate eyes are sparkling in the dark, her cherry coloured lips parted. Is…is she blushing? She suddenly looks...

The sound of someone clearing their throat kills the moment and I turn around to see Bellemere watching us with a grin on her face.

"Glad to see you kids are doing okay," she remarks, scratching her cheek. "I just wanted to come and let you know that I might be here for a bit longer. Smoker wants a talk and I need to oversee some clean-up here but, after that, I should be free to give you two a lift home if you're okay with waiting." Crap. If Bellemere's watching me, there's no way I'll be able to sneak off to Bon's.

Plus, if she looks closer and sees the cuts and bruises on me…well, she might put two and two together and my secret identity is wide open.

I don't want anyone close to me learning that little titbit of information just yet.

"Sorry Bellemere, I can't wait," I lie, once more taking a step into Scarlet's shoes. "Makino wants me back as soon as possible so now I know Nami's okay, I better get moving home."

"Are you sure?" Bellemere asks.

"You know Makino won't mind if you're too late," Nami comments, her eyes cast down at the floor. I shake my head.

"Sorry, but I don't want to upset her again. If I'm going to stay in her good books I need to do as she asks. Besides, if I keep being good, she might forget I'm supposed to be grounded."

"What a coincidence," Bellemere observes, looking to Nami. "She's grounded too. Maybe I and Makino should join up in punishing you guys." I flinch. Yeah, I keep forgetting Bellemere's a mum before anything else. Shit.

"No need for that!" I insist, already preparing to start running. "Maybe you two should just have a coffee or something, chill out whilst Nami helps me with my homework. Speaking of which, bye Nami! I'll text you tomorrow and we'll get together some time to do studying." Nami's lips move but I don't hear anything. Assuming it's a hushed goodbye, I keep on shouting as I start running. "Okay then, I'll see you two later, I've got go see if I can catch the next bus home. See ya!"

"Let us know you get home safe if you're going alone," Bellemere insists. Nami just looks at me. She seems…sad. Weird. I'll have to try and cheer up tomorrow when I see her.

Right now, I've got Scarlet stuff to do. I need to swing over to Bon's, see if he's there and get my costume repaired straight away, see if I can get the next one a bit baggier so people can't stare at my groin and get a full picture. After that, I had better home. If he's not there, then man, I'm gonna be so tired when I get back. I might just drop as soon as I get in. These wounds aren't making it any easier to move either. Swinging around town is going to a bitch. Then again, at least I'm done for tonight. No more drama for the rest of the day now.

* * *

_**? P.O.V**_

"What's happening down here?"

"I thought I smelt something, the Bunsen burner is on down here."

"What? Your old lab stuff? Why is it-oh no!"

"Usopp! Usopp!"

"Come on sweetie, speak to me! Speak to me are you there!?"

"He's not responding."

"Out of the way Bachina, let the boy breath."

"Heracles, he's not-"

"Yes he is, look at his stomach. He's just…is that my pop green there? Good lord, it is."

"What the hell was he doing in here?"

"Whatever it is, we need to get an ambulance. Yasopp?"

"Already on it."

"Don't worry Usopp, you're going to be fine. Just stay with us until help gets here."

"What was that stuff he was using?"

"Research material. It's experimental."

"Oh my…"

"Don't worry Bachina, it's harmless to people."

"Well, we still need to watch him…make sure there are no side effects."

Mum…Heracles…Dad…Kaya…Lu…Luffy…

Lu…lu…la la lu…

* * *

_**Ace P.O.V**_

The best sound I have heard all day is the sound of my key slipping into the lock on the house opening as I turn the key. Giving a loud sigh, I stumble forwards, pushing the door open roughly with my shoulder. The lights inside the house are all off. With a raised eyebrow, I walk deeper into the house, glancing into the kitchen and into the living room, hoping to see some sign of life.

No-one is there.

I scratch the back of my head nervously.

Okay, Makino shouldn't be home yet since she's doing overtime at the bar today but Luffy should definitely be home and his lack of presence leaves me feeling uneasy.

Even this late at night, Luffy should still be up and about.

"Luffy," I call out. The house is silent in reply however. Screwing up my face in irritation, I stamp up the stairs.

I'm finally starting to agree with Makino, Luffy's disappearances are getting annoying, especially when they're cutting into my brotherly lecturing time.

His room is the last place I can think he'd be and even then, it doesn't seem like Luffy would go to sleep this early so why can't I hear him?

I drum my hand on Luffy's door.

No sound of a reply escapes.

This isn't right.

"Luffy," I call again, tapping my fist against the door once more, before pushing against it with a resigned sigh.

'Luffy, are you in…'

As I step into Luffy's room, my voice dies in my throat.

The scene is like a photograph.

Luffy's window is wide open and the curtains are undrawn. Moonlight filters in through the open space in the wall illuminating the entirety of the room in a pale white light. Like a spotlight, the moonbeams centre on the occupied bed where the form of a teenager is lying flat on his face. Slowly, I begin to make out the shape, more importantly the colour, of the person's clothing lying on the bed. Dark raven hair rests on deep red spandex with ebony highlights. Lying close to his head is a discarded straw-hat and clutched tightly in his fist is a figure eight mask.

It hits me.

All at once, everything makes sense.

The bruising, the lateness, that sense that Luffy was lying earlier, the slipping school grades, the new personality quirks: the pieces fit together like a jigsaw in the shape of the picture I'm looking at right now.

I close my eyes and shake my head, considering I'm dreaming.

I have to be, there's no way...

The image has been burned into my eyelids however.

I can't un-see it and when I open my eyes again, it's all too clear that this is no mirage.

Oddly enough, a small laugh escapes my throat.

The truth can sometimes be so absurd it makes you do that and the truth was something I had never suspected before.

My brother, Monkey D. Luffy, is the Scarlet Wind.

* * *

_**To be continued in Chapter 5: Translation Plane Act 1**_

_**Until then I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter.**_

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


	17. Chapter 5: Translation Plane Act 1

_**Alright, new chapter of Scarlet pushed out before I get too bogged down in University work...and I'd just like to take a quick second to talk about this fanfic.**_

_**I hate writing this fanfic. I hate it so much.**_

_**The obvious question in your head right now must be "well, why do you keep updating it then?"**_

_**My answer?**_

_**Because I love this fanfic.**_

_**I love the setting, I love the plot I'm trying to show, the way I've managed to rework the characters into the modern framework and introducing bits of One Piece lore and the story into the world of Scarlet. I won't claim it's original considering, at this story's heart, it's a homage bordering on copycat fic of Spiderman but I really enjoy the world of Spiderman as I do the world of One Piece and mashing them together has been so much fun.**_

_**But I hate writing this fanfic, writing being the keyword. I detest the style in which I write Scarlet and when I work on writing it, I keep feeling that I'm doing a terrible job because the style is not complimentary to my usual writing style. Third person past is a lot different from first person present...**_

_**Which actually allows to perfectly seg-way to mention that my uni friend Pelthain (Remember him? Mentioned his awesome AvatarXFairy Tail crossover fic last update?) and I have worked together and we've started writing a Fairy Tail fanfic together: Living with Erza Scarlet, starring our favourite red haired swordswoman and her blue haired love.**__** The link to it should be just below (if not, Pelthain is on my favourite Author list so you should find it there). Please give it a look and I hope you enjoy.**_

_** s/10745705/1/**_

_**Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand: New chapter of Scarlet Wind. I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 5: Translation Plane Act 1**_

_**Sunday, 3**__**rd**__** October**_

_**Scarlet P.O.V**_

Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. All I wanted to do was swing round to the Grand Line Times to meet up with Nami and now, I'm trapped in the middle of a gang meet-up. Shouldn't be a problem right? I mean, I'm the Scarlet Wind, I should be eating guards like this for breakfast (despite their lack of nutritional value) but these guys are different. They're not just simple mooks, they're well-armed and well-trained. Bullets aren't too effective against me but I doubt I can withstand a bazooka blast to the face…

"Surrender now ne'er-do-wells or face the wrath of the Sniper King!"

Oh yeah, and to top it all off, I've got this idiot to deal with at some point. I mean, I thought I looked ridiculous but what the hell is he wearing? The cape? The mask? The staff? It all looks like something your mother makes for you when you're six. Where the hell did he come from anyway?

"Ne'er-do-wells? Really? You are insistent on cramping my super-hero groove, aren't you?" I mock.

"As you are insistent on getting in the way of justice," Sniper King shouts back to me. "Stay out of my way Scarlet, do not make me take you down as well." Oh, we're onto the big threats now. Who does this guy think he is?

"As if you could," I respond. He turns to me as if ready to make good on his promises, only to remember that he too is surrounded. Refocusing on the group around us, I quickly start counting the number of thugs around us. We're outnumbered, that's clear, and from their weapons, I'm starting to think we're outclassed. There is, however, a clear divide between the people.

On one side, there are five thugs dressed, bizarrely enough, in tribal gear. Each one has their own unique weapons with strange ski-like shoes on their feet. Steam is leaking slowly from their rear, surrounding the group with mist. The other group, however, look far less professional, just three simple guys in ski masks and hoodies. The only noticeable member of this second group is the pink haired woman with them, dressed in a flamboyant black strapless dress. The leader of the warriors in tribal guard, a man with a sharp face and a Mohawk, levelled his bazooka at us, glaring at the group opposite.

"What's the deal here Perona? Who are these lunatics?" he cried. The pink haired woman's lips flapped in surprise.

"I-I-I have no idea!" The warrior's face hardened.

"Did you plan on this? Wanted to get the payment and stiff us on the purchase?"

"N-n-no Wiper! We didn't call them here," the pink haired girl complains. Her words seem to fall on death ears however.

"Joker demanded there be no complications and I am a man who appals complications," Wiper remarks.

"Joker?" I wonder aloud. "I thought I took Buggy down already…" The man turns the glare on me, his tattoo wrinkling.

"If including these idiots is how you want to play this game then I'll be taking those impact dials AND the money back." The woman, Perona I guess, backs off, allowing her three guards to take point.

"Gentlemen, we can discuss this," she said.

"No, we can't," Wiper responded, crouching down and firing off his bazooka. A giant flame blast leaps from the barrel. I and 'Sniper King'…or whoever the hell he is, leap out of the way as the fire impacts on the ground. Sniper doesn't wait around, pulling out that weird staff of his and firing off his pellets towards the attacking tribal men.

I, on the other hand, end up leaping towards Perona who wields her umbrella like a shield. As she lets out a scream, her guards move forwards. The difference in their equipment is so stark. Whereas Sniper is firing his tiny pellets at rifles and bazookas, I'm fighting against simple baseball bats.

"You're going down Scarlet!" one of the masked men yells, charging at me with his bat. It only takes a simple sidestep and a kick to disarm him and another kick to drive him to the ground yelping in pain.

"Bro!" another of the masked men shouts, joining his 'bro' in attacking. Again, he doesn't prove to be anything too major, just a punch to the stomach and he's down on the floor. Quickly, I turn to face Perona and the final guard. Whilst the pink haired woman is sneaking off towards the back of the room, her last champion steps forward.

Unlike the other fighters, he moves forward slowly and methodically. To further differentiate himself, he appears to be wielding two bats instead of…scratch that, he's just put one of the bats into his mouth and scooped up one of his comrades. Ouch, three bats. Must be hurting his teeth doing that.

"So, you're the next up to bat?" I joke with a smirk. "Well, at least you seem smarter than your friends. Though, of course, if you really smart you'd…"

He doesn't give me enough time to finish my quip. With inhuman speed, he swings. I dodge the first, barely and the second comes so fast I have to catch it instead of avoiding it. The third, the one in his mouth, strikes true and smashes into my head, bowling me over onto the ground. I groan, grabbing my sore head with my hand.

"Stay down," the masked man begs as he stares down at me. "I don't want to hurt you." That…that voice. So…so familiar…but…it can't be…

I start to stand up.

"I said stay." I stretch forwards with my arm. Not to punch him, but to grab hold of his mask. I grab hold, tightening my fingers on the fabric. On reaction, the masked man moves backwards, probably trying to escape a blow to the face. Due to the doubled pressure of his movement and my own grip, the mask easily snaps on a thread, ripping off his face. I pull my arm back, cradling the black mask in its grasp and look up into the face of my…no…no, this can't be happening…he can't…what is he…how is he…why…

"Zoro?" I wonder aloud. My friend's face hardens, still holding the baseball bats tightly in his fingers and teeth.

"How do you know my name?" Oh god, this can't be happening. My best friend is…he's…how? How did this happen?

* * *

_**Thursday 30**__**th**__** September**_

_**Usopp P.O.V**_

You know what, writing essay drafts is stupid. I mean, what's the point of spending all your time pouring your brain over something if its not going to be the final product. Pell says that it helps you get a good mark…and I suppose as a teacher he should know something about that…but, argh! I just hate it! I glance down at my paper at the words I've just written and scratch my head.

_Frankenstein's narrative is interestingly formatted. Instead of being the usual chronological fashion, the story uses the framing device of an explorer stumbling upon the titular character who tells him an account of his life and his creation of the monster. Featuring a pivotal end scene, that of the dying Frankenstein meeting with the captain, at the beginning of the book helps lure in the audience's attention, whilst the second hand account of Frankenstein's tale helps give the audience insight into Frankenstein's character, allowing the true events and motives that led him to his current state._

I sigh. I've had gone completely off topic in that last paragraph from the character of the monster. Maybe I could segway into that in the next paragraph by using the monster's own story as an example? That sounds good…maybe. But, for now, I've done another 100 words so it's time for a treat. With a grin on my face, I un-pause Smallville on my laptop and smile as the action begins once more. Now that's a superhero. The superhero. Superman! Makes no mistakes, perfect gifts, grows to become strong, handsome, respected. I can't help but smile at the screen.

Oh yeah. What I wouldn't give to be Superman.

* * *

_**Friday 1**__**st**__** October**_

_**Zoro P.O.V**_

"So, what do you think?" The mass of black hair in front of me shrugs, beautiful locks cascading down her naked back like a waterfall of night.

"It was a decent movie I suppose," Robin murmurs, glancing over her shoulder at me. Those beautiful sapphire moonlight eyes look me in the eye, before scanning down to my waist. Clearly, she was enjoying the situation as much as I was from the sly smile on her lips.

"Decent movie?" I ask in an offended tone tightening my grip around her waist. "This one was awesome!"

"I admit it was quite the…" she pause as I trail my finger along her bare back. She shivers with pleasure. "Spinetingler…but apart from the interesting portrayal of perspective, it was a pretty simple action movie." I sighed, accepting defeat.

"At least you liked Vantage Point more than Rush Hour I guess."

"It was almost your last pick for movie night, that's for sure," she replies, leaning slightly back to rub against my chest. I close my eyes and sigh. She smells like pomegranates. I breathe the scent in and lean forwards to kiss her bare shoulders. As my lips meet her skin, she trembles with a soft gasp of joy.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too," she replies, turning to kiss me on the lips. I kiss back, pulling her closer towards me. Robin seems to jump a little as something below bumps into her.

"Well…someone's excited…" she teased, pulling away only to plant a soft kiss on my nose.

"It was your idea to watch movies after sex, don't blame me," I said, giving her a playful smile. "Besides, how could I not get like this with you around?" She smiles at me, a thin crease in her lips. She licks them.

"You can be romantic when you want to be," Robin comments, before adopting a smug smirk. "When you're not ganging up on me with Usopp and calling me the mum of the group." I must have visibly paled because she starts chuckling.

"Well…" Come on Zoro, you can save this. "…I guess that makes you a hot momma then?" More laughter. Well, that was a crash and burn.

"Oh, smooth one there." Her comment implies it was anything but. I feel my cheeks go red and I look away. She always knows how to get to me. Her hand caresses my cheek and I feel my whole body shaking.

"I'm not good with words like those books of yours," I growl.

"At least you try I suppose," Robin replies, planting a kiss on my cheek. "I knew when I started dating you I wasn't going to be taking out Shakespeare." I grin out of habit and turn back to her, defeated but happy.

"Please, I'm kick that writer guy's ass if he even tried coming after you."

"I severely doubt you could considering he's been dead for centuries."

"Shut up, I'm trying to be romantic," I hiss. Robin simply laughs again.

"Trying being the key-word sweetheart." I frown at her words, sending her into fits of giggles again. "Oh Zoro, you shouldn't be too soft skinned. You know I'm joking."

"I know," I reply. She kisses me again.

"Then stop pouting."

"I don't pout." Now, it's her turn to pout, puckering those beautiful lips and narrowing her eyes at me.

"Zoro, would you lie to me?"

"I don't!" I insist. She keeps staring. "Well…not that much anyway…"

"You are such a child," Robin remarks with a shake of her head. She stands up off the couch, turning to face me. Her naked form gleams a light pink in the light of the Movie credits.

"I'm feeling a little hungry, do you want some food?" Instead of replying straight away, I

"Actually, I've got an appetite for something else."

"I've been able to tell."

"It's our first time together in weeks," I say, ignoring the heat I feel building in my cheeks. Hopefully Robin can't see them in the dark. She always makes fun of me when I show my more sensitive side. "I just want to make the most of it…"A clear smirk appears on her face in the dark room. She folds her arms under her breasts and leans forwards. Such a tease when she wants to be…

"Well, in which case, we better make up for lost time, right?" she purrs into my ear. I don't hesitate for an instant. Our lips collide in a flurry of passion and soon, I find Robin on top of me, her kisses trailing down my chest and her hands running through my hair. Something savage clicks inside me and I start losing myself in the motion too, kissing her everywhere I can, holding tight onto her hips. The whole world just seems to buzz. I nibble her shoulder, enjoying the little moans that escape from her mouth. Suddenly, Robin tenses. She says something but the words don't click.

"What?" I ask.

"Zoro," she repeats.

"Robin," I whisper her own name back to her and resume my attack. Robin persists, however, shrugging me away from her.

"No, Zoro." I stop, looking her in her beautiful sapphire eyes.

"What?"

"Zoro, there's someone at the door." I pause. Sure enough, a knock sounds from near the door. I give a sweet sigh of relief. That's good. I thought it was something important.

"Leave it," I whisper back, returning to kissing her. She sighs through the kiss and pushes me away back onto the couch.

"No Zoro, we can't, I have to see to this. I might be the landlord." And just like that my stomach turns. Well, that's killed the mood nicely. I growl, folding my arms and accepting defeat.

"See?" Robin says with a laugh. "Pouting." I grumble wordlessly in response, standing up whilst mumbling something to her about getting dressed.

"You too," Robin advises. "Your clothes are there…and there…and there."

"I know," I mutter, picking my shirt off the floor and throwing her a pair of pants and her bra. Robin simply smiles at me as she catches them. She quickly slips on her pants as the knocking comes once more from the door.

"Just a minute," she calls. I pick up a bundle of my clothes and make my way towards the bathroom, cursing under my breath as I go. Great, Mihawk goes out of town and I and Robin can finally have a moment to ourselves again and someone's busting in on us, ruining the whole thing. I hope it's not the landlord. Woop Slap is a nice enough guy but at the same time, he's still trying to work a business.

The only reasons he'd be here would be noise complaints (which I'd take a compliment) and to collect rent. I cast a glance over to Robin's kitchen table as I open the door to the bathroom. The light from the room flashes on the pieces of paper there, all of them warnings about late rent. I squeeze the door handle tightly before slamming it shut and heading into the bathroom to change. Robin tries to keep her money troubles on the quiet but it's understandable.

She lives alone and in order to pay the bills, she had to pick up some part-time jobs on the side and even still, she can barely make ends meet. Woop Slap is lenient but even so, he's still got to make money where he can and that means playing hardball with some things, namely rent. As I slip on my t-shirt, I keep an ear trained to the door. Another knock. Robin hasn't answered the door yet…wait, no, there's the creak. Who is it?

"Nami?" My eyes widen. Nami? What's she doing here?

"Robin, we need to talk." Yep, that's definitely Nami. I finish putting on my t-shirt and start putting on my jeans, hopping up and down and abandoning any sense of dignity as I listen in. How is it that Robin keeps balanced whilst she's getting ready and I look like a freaking cartoon character? Pressing my ear to the door, I can hear the front door shut.

"Okay, what is it you want to talk about?" Robin starts and I'm sure I hear the crunch of someone sitting down on the couch. "Because if this is anything major, you should know-"

"Robin, you were right. You and the girls, you were right all along and I never realised it…and now I have, I need someone to talk to about it…"

"Nami, what are you talking about?"

"Robin, I love him. I love Luffy!"

"What?" Robin gasps.

"What!?" I scream in agreement, only to overbalance as I slip my foot into my jeans. I end up falling over, slamming face first into the bathroom door. The door swings open and I tumble down onto the floor. As I land, I can hear Nami letting out a surprised scream as Robin struggles to hold in her laughter.

"Robin! What the hell is he doing here?" she shrieks.

"Yeah, good to see you too Nami," I growl into the carpet, ensuring the orange haired woman knows I share her discomfort in her invading Robin's apartment and shattering my alone time with my girlfriend.

"I told you I was looking after Zoro today," Robin states, looking to me with a gleam of glee. Nami seems to notice the look and starts glancing between us, her head twisting so quickly it's surprising that her neck hasn't just snapped. She points to me and starts stuttering with confusion.

"B-but…but…it's like half past one in the morning?" the orange haired witch ponders aloud.

"Sleepover," Robin states simply. Nami doesn't appear at all convinced with her excuse. Her eyes turn from Robin to me once more, only to widen as if she's just spotted something. A smile appears on her face. I shudder. I hate it when she smiles like that. It always bodes ill, mainly for me.

"I see," she says "though that doesn't explain why Zoro's pants are on back to front." There it is. The sound of her dropping me in trouble again. Instinctively, I reach down to my jeans and discover that she's right. No zipper, just two back pockets. I look to the two girls in desperation. Robin sighs.

"I suppose the cat's out of the bag now Zoro." I groan. It had been my idea to keep our relationship a secret from everyone else. Too much drama, I had thought and look, my assessment is proving to be right.

"Couldn't be a secret forever I guess," I growl, picking myself up off the ground and wrapping my arm around Robin's waist. "Besides, that means I get to do this in public from now on." I pull her into a kiss which Robin gratefully returns. Even though my eyes are closed, I can still hear Nami letting out a wrenching sound.

"Honestly Robin, I thought you had taste," she remarks.

"You can hardly say that now you're with Luffy," I reply. Now, it's Nami's turn to start blushing.

"Sh-shut up! W-we're not…"

"But you two were on a date together tonight, right?" I wonder aloud.

"It wasn't a date," Nami corrects, fixing her sudden stutter but failing to correct her red cheeks. "We just…we were just hanging out." A long pause fills the room. Nami's head falls, her gaze burning into the floor. I glance to Robin, who gives me a warning glance. I'm starting to get good at our silent conversations now. This look clearly means that I need to sit down and shut up and not irritate Nami any further…or keep bringing up her whole Luffy issue. I do as I'm told (or as I think I am) and sit down on the couch, mumbling a quick apology to Nami.

"What is he even doing here?" Nami wondered aloud, ignoring my presence in the room.

"Sleepover," Robin repeated, causing Nami's jaw to drop. The disgust in her eyes amuse me. "Though a better question is why are you here so late?"

"Well…Bellemere dropped me off home after an incident at the concert hall," Nami begins to explain.

"What? What happened?" I ask.

"Are you okay?" Robin inquires. Nami nods.

"Yeah, I'm fine. There was a super-villain attack."

"It's strange that we can now say that and it seems completely normal," I muse aloud and Robin gives me another 'be quiet' look before refocusing on Nami.

"And?"

"And Scarlet stopped it and worked everything out, it doesn't matter. Point is Bellemere left me at home and…I just had to talk to someone so when she went back to sort out some police stuff at the station, I just walked over here. Had a good long think along the way…and I wanted to ask for some advice."

"And this couldn't have waited til tomorrow because?" I start, only for Robin to once more glare me down.

"Because it's driving me crazy!" Nami shouts in reply. "My heads spinning, I can't think properly, I tried having a nap on the way home and I can't sleep…I'm just a mess because this thing with Luffy is all I can think about and I don't know how to solve it!"

"That and you're probably still in shock from being involved in a super powered brawl," Robin notes. Nami falters for a moment, looking down at the ground before glancing up to Robin.

"I know this is a bit out of the blue…I'm just…"

"You're tired, stressed and confused. It happens," Robin concludes far too naturally. "Just relax now. Zoro, get us some sorting coco." The words take a second to properly register.

"What?"

"Nami, get comfy. Phone your mum, tell her you'll be sleeping here tonight. We'll have a good talk and you can have my pyjamas."

"But-" I attempt to say something, only for Robin to turn on me once more.

"Zoro, where's that sorting coco?"

"I…but we were…" I let out a sigh, accepting defeat. Clearly, our romantic night in has transformed into a girl talk night. I never thought I'd be the third wheel in a group with Robin. Sadly, I keep forgetting how close Robin and Nami are. At Robin's request, I start preparing the 'sorting coco' as Robin and Nami start talking.

"Alright, everything's going to be fine. Just have a drink, sit down and we'll talk about it. You fancy a movie night?" Please no Disney. Please no Disney.

"Well…I have been in the mood for Tangled recently." Fuck. Great, now the witch is invading my night, stealing my movie and stealing Robin. Yep, everything's just coming up Zoro. I take in a sigh and put the kettle on to boil. Glancing backwards at the two girls, however, I find myself smiling. I hate to admit it but Nami is a friend and she's a valued part of our group and, talking to Robin right now and with the promise of light-hearted goodness in store, she appears to be really brightening up.

This whole 'Do I like Luffy' thing seemed to cause a real strain on her the past few weeks. It must be weird having to rethink how you feel about someone you've known your entire life. At least she finally knows where she stands now. The only question left is what next? How do you announce such a change in a relationship with someone you've loved for so long?

* * *

_**Saturday 2**__**nd**__** October**_

_**Ace P.O.V**_

I've never been a tea person. Energy drinks are usually what I have and what I need too. A firefighter has to be energetic right? Got to be ready to swing in there and save the day at a moment's notice. Be a hero.

Right now, though, I need something calming. Nojiko says she knows a friend who says that tea calms the senses and chills you out, so I've had a supply put away for stressful occasions. I take a deep sip of the hot drink before placing the cup back down on the table. Despite the soothing taste, I still feel the insecurity of my current situation burning up inside me.

Luffy.

Luffy is the Scarlet Wind.

How had I not noticed?

Everything has seemed so different since Sabo died. I thought he was just grieving in his own special way. I might be right about it but he's definitely doing something I never expected.

"It's nice to have you home on the weekend for a change," Makino says, continuing her attempt to make small talk. I nod. A rubber man? How do you a rubber man? Is it a genetic thing? I've never noticed and I don't think Shanks or Makino know. Did Sabo? Is that why Scarlet appeared just after his death? To avenge the only person who knew what he was really going through?

"You got any plans for the day? Hanging out with the guys? Going to see Nojiko?" Is it right what the papers are saying? It can't be. Luffy's not like that, he's not a criminal or…but the evidence was so convincing. The whole Bluejam thing. They found his gang half-dead…did Luffy do that? Is he the same Luffy I've known throughout all these years?

"So last time Shanks was home we had sex right on the table where you're eating." I slipped a piece of toast in my mouth and chewed. I mean, how the hell can Luffy do something like this alone? Fighting all those battles and surviving each fight. You see in the paper and on the news all the harsh battles. How hasn't he needed a doctor yet?

All of this…I just…the Scarlet Wind, the Scarlet Wind being Luffy.

Luffy being the Scarlet Wind.

Wow.

Something slams on the table in front of me and I jump awake to the sight of Makino glaring at me.

"I knew you weren't paying attention," she growls. I feign a look of innocence and give an awkward chuckle.

"What the heck are you talking about Makino?"

"You didn't even react to what I was saying. You were lost in your own world again." My eyebrow rises.

"What did you say?"

"It doesn't matter. The main point is that you weren't listening," Makino insists. I hang my head in mild shame.

"Right, yeah, sorry Makino. I've just…just had things on my mind." Makino gives me a quizzical look.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I look to my breakfast. Tell Makino about Luffy's secret. The offer is tempting. Should I? Shouldn't she have a right to know what danger her son is putting himself in every night? But at the same time, it is Luffy's secret, it's his responsibility. Do I have the right to-

"Good morning family, how are we doing this lovely day?" I jump as Luffy comes sliding into the room. He sweeps past Makino, kissing her on the cheek as he passes before moving over towards the cupboards. Makino seems just as bemused by him as I am, though she expresses it through a childish laugh.

"Good morning to you too. Someone's in a good mood today."

"Not a good mood, a fantastic mood," Luffy replies, spinning around as he starts slipping bread into the toaster. "I slept better than I have in a long time and last night was awesome." Not from where I was watching. All of those scars and bruises. How the heck can Luffy have enough energy to dance around like this after all of that?

"Oh, last night," Makino interrupts, suddenly donning a serious look. "I think that we need to talk about that…" Luffy turns to her.

"Er…okay? What's up Makino?"

"Ace and I wanted to have a word with you about what you did last night…" I almost choke on my toast.

"We?"

"Yes, we know about your little secret Luffy." My eyes widen. Makino…Makino knows? She knows about Luffy being Scarlet? Why is she only just bringing this up now? How the hell did she find out? When did she find out? Luffy shares my surprise, reeling backwards and bumping his rear into the counter.

"Secret? What secret?"

"I think you know Luffy. It's been going on for a while, hasn't it? We'd have to be stupid not to spot it, right Ace?" Makino doesn't even glance at me. In my shocked state, all I can manage is a nod. Luffy's face pales.

"I-I can explain."

"Don't bother Luffy. I honestly thought I would have raised you better than this!" Better than being a vigilante super-hero? I don't think Makino ever covered that in her parenting. Luffy is growing more and more flustered with each passing remark.

"W-what?"

"I mean playing with girl's hearts like you're doing? Unforgiveable!" Makino folds her arms and casts Luffy a scorning look.

"Makino, I'm not the-wait, what?"

"What?" I agree, turning to Makino.

"You heard me. I know all about what you're doing: dating two girls at once! I thought I taught you better than that Luffy!" My confusion descends into uncontrollable laughter.

"Luffy's doing what?"

"Ace, don't laugh this is serious!" Makino insists. I nod my head, hiding my smile behind a hand. Oh god, I thought I had issues. What the heck has my little brother been up to? Super-powered fighting? Seducing all the ladies? Man, he's getting into the super hero role pretty well. I lean back and watch the two arguing. Luffy keeps denying Makino's accusations, helplessly trying to understand what she's saying.

"Two girls, what are you-"

"Hancock and Nami! You're leading both of them on, treating them like-"

"Nami? Hancock? What are you-"

"Don't act dumb Luffy! Hancock's your lab partner and coming round here and now you're using Nami as-"

"Using Nami? No, Makino, you've got it all wrong!"

"And she's your oldest friend Luffy! You go out with Hancock and then, one night later, you're going on a date with-"

"Woah, woah, woah! Going out with Hancock?" Luffy finally seems to grab control of the situation, as this attracts Makino's attention. "Are you mental? I've never been on a date with Hancock!" I raise an eyebrow. So he does know what a date is? Well, that's mildly surprising. Maybe it's just selective stupidity.

"They're both nice girls but-what?" Makino stops, blinking at Luffy as if she's only just spotted him for the first time.

"I said I've never gone out with Hancock. She was my partner for a research project. That was it. When we were round at your bar, we were working on the project. We're done with that now. I mean she's a…a friend, sort of, but I was never…I don't…you know?"

"You didn't like her like that?" I suggest. Luffy points to me and nods.

"There you go, that thing. I didn't like her like that."

"And you like Nami like that?" Makino's next question throws him off completely.

"L-l-like Nami like what?" Oh god, he really is as stupid as he looks. Oh god, he's as stupid as he looks AND he has super-powers. I put my head in my hands and let out a groan. I need to talk to him about this, need to make sense of the whole super-hero thing. Makino gives the opposite response however, her frown bursting out into a smile.

"So, when you went out with Nami yesterday, that means you two were-" She thinks about what she's saying for a moment before squealing. "Oh Luffy, I'm so glad! How did I not see this happening? You two have been best friends since-ah! Wait until I tell Bellemere!"

"Tell Bellemere what?" Luffy wonders aloud but Makino is too consumed with her giddiness to stop ranting.

"I expect grandkids, not yet obviously. I mean, you're both still in school, so grades will come first but she's a splendid girl: good, head-strong and confident. Plus, she'll definitely be able to keep you in line." It is clear from a glance that Luffy isn't understanding anything that Makino is saying. Everything is going in one ear and out the other.

"Er…yeah, that sounds like Nami alright," he concludes lamely. "We had a lot of fun last night…you know, ignoring the whole supervillain attack." Makino stops her ranting and turns to Luffy with a look of surprise.

"Supervillain attack?"

"Yeah, this clown guy and this gangster attacked the place and-" Immediately, Makino switches into her babying mood, scooping Luffy into a backbreaking hug.

"Oh my god! Sweetie, are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Yes, no and I got trapped in a toilet whilst the action was going on. I'm alright though."

"Trapped in a toilet? Are you hearing this Ace?"

"Yeah," I mutter. I'm hearing the lies…Luffy's lying. This seems so weird. He never lied, was never any good at it. Has he always been this good at lying? Did he learn? Does he have a split personality or something like that? What happened to the sweet innocent brother I knew?

"Makino, I'm honestly fine," Luffy explains, pushing her away. "Now, can I get some breakfast?"

"Sit down and I'll make you some pancakes," Makino replies, spinning back to the kitchen. "You sound like you've been through enough to last you a lifetime, sit down and relax. We can enjoy a nice family breakfast together."

"Your wish is my command," Luffy replies, flopping backwards into his seat and picking up his knife and fork. He looks up and playfully goes to stab a piece of stray bacon on my plate.

"Hey bro, how you doing?" he asks, slipping the bacon into his mouth and chewing. Food fights are common in the house. Food fights are for different days though, different times. A different Luffy. The man currently sat in his place is a mystery to me and I've never been a fan of mysteries.

"Hey." Luffy's smile deflates at my monotone.

"Wow, what's got you in such a bad mood today? Make-up with Nojiko not go well?" I clench my fists. Joking around even now. Not today Luffy. Not right now.

"I need to talk to you," I whisper, low enough that Makino misses it. Luffy's brow furrows. He seems to finally be clocking on to how serious I'm being.

"Talk to me?" he replies cautiously.

"It's important." His expression warps, showcasing more confusion.

"Okay then, sure. If you say important…"

"It is," I whisper. Luffy nods.

"Sure then, we can talk…" Suddenly, his serious expression gives way to his usual smirk. The whiplash gets me caught off guard. "But can it wait until later? I want to phone Nami first, make sure she got-" Before he can finish, the house phone starts ringing. Luffy instantly springs up out of his seat.

"I got it!" he announces proudly, weaving his way out. Makino gives a laugh as he leaves the room.

"Looks like her ears were burning," she says to no-one in particular. I ignore her charming remarks and level my gaze at Luffy in the corridor. So natural. So calm.

How does he do it?

How has he hidden two lives for this long?

Have I just not been looking for it?

I suppose the option of Luffy being a super-hero was always rather out there but now I know it's true, it seems even more unlikely.

How?

Just how did this all start?

How does it all fit together?

I steady my breathing and listen in as Luffy picks up the phone, gleeful bounce in his step.

"Hey Nami," he coos softly. "Was just talking about you." Could Nami know too? Or Zoro? Maybe they all know? Someone has to know, he has to have told someone a secret this big. The questions in my mind come to a screeching halt as Luffy's whole face changes. His smile shrinks and his face droops.

"Nami?...Nami, are you-slow down Nami, I can't hear what you're…what? What? You…really? He's? Oh, crap." Luffy reaches a hand up, running it through his raven locks. Sweat leaks down his forehead. "I know. I'll be right round, see you guys soon." With a click, the phone is off and with a crash, Luffy slams it back down onto the receiver.

"Luffy…" I speak cautiously as he comes back into the kitchen. Makino glances up from her cooking as he races back in, blissfully unaware of the issue.

"Well, that was quick. Are you two meet-"

"Ace, I need to give me a lift." Interrupting Makino? Something must definitely be up.

"Where to?" I wonder aloud, instantly reading the cracking in Luffy's voice.

"Dawn General Hospital." Makino finally clocks on to the problem, her eyes going wide.

"What? Why?" Luffy turns to her and I finally spot the tears bubbling in his gaze. His voice is breaking and only one word squeaks out.

"Usopp."

* * *

_**Zoro P.O.V**_

I've never liked hospitals. They're annoyingly terrible in every area: smell, look, sounds. There's even the bad taste in the air that hovers around every corner. They're…Robin had a good word, what was it? Deplorable? Let's go with that, deplorable.

Heck, part of my wishes I'd still be back at Robin's apartment curled up on the couch whilst she and Nami sing along to 'And at last I see the light' whilst I claw out my ears. The music is terrible but at least it's a better atmosphere that this. The corridor is in complete awkward silence. There's no laughter or talking. We all just sit around, waiting. I'm starting to get antsy. I know from the way I've started tapping my foot hard against the floor and how I've read every freaking poster in this corridor about twelve times.

Why is it taking so long?

It was Chopper who had heard about the whole thing. His stepmother, Kureha, had finished her shift at the hospital when his ambulance came in. The second she recognised Usopp and his parents, she dropped everything and went with them as far as they could go. From there, she told Chopper and the news quickly spread to all of us. Currently, the old woman is sat leaning against the wall with an odd guy (apparently, he's Usopp's uncle), gently sipping from a paper cup of coffee. Chopper is on the chair beside her. He's currently tending to Usopp's mother, rubbing her back soothingly and promising that Usopp will be okay.

Poor Bachina. She's still sobbing silently. Chopper's tears match her own and the two seem to bond over their crying. Yasopp stays still through it all, holding his wife and occasionally casting a smile to Chopper to show he's glad he's there. Usopp's parents were pretty surprised when we burst through the door into the wing, the girls showering them with hugs and apologies, whilst all I could do was lower my head in respect. They didn't expect us to show up. Truthfully, if it had been anyone else, I probably wouldn't have bothered running all the way here in the early morning.

But it was Usopp so we came.

We had to be here.

I wouldn't forgive myself if I wasn't here when anything happened to the little long nosed liar and we all feel the same way.

Robin was the first person Chopper called so we heard about things quite early on. She's sitting next to me, her head resting on my shoulder. Her eyes flutter up and down, battling to remain open. She tried reading at first to keep her mind awake but she ultimately decided she couldn't concentrate properly on it knowing Usopp was in danger. I cast her a small smile as he nuzzles into me. Nami sits a chair away from Robin, probably trying to stay away from the 'oogies' as she's called them of seeing me and her best friend together.

Don't know if she's joking about that.

Don't think I care.

Her head is lowered, glowering at the floor in silence. She's taking it just as hard as the rest of us. The only real difference is there's no-one here for her to lean on. Robin and me, Yasopp and Bachina, Kureha and Chopper: there's someone we can unload on, hold onto, feel better about being with. She doesn't want to break any of our little groups up and she wants to see how Usopp is. More than anything, though, I can see in her eyes she wants reassurance. It's a reassurance I can't give her. Robin tried to coax some conversation out of here earlier but to no avail. She wants to talk to someone else. She needs Bellemere or Genzo or Nojiko or…

"Luffy, wait up!" Everyone's head springs up at the cry just as the nearby doors swing open. Luffy comes racing through the door. He takes two huge strides only to realise that he has no way of stopping himself from continuing running. He plants his feet firmly on the ground but instead of stopping his sprint, he flips backwards in the air instead, landing on his back and sliding forwards towards the chairs. At once, we're all up on our feet looking down at him with concern. He looks up at us with an awkward smile.

"Hey, came as soon as I heard." Say what you will, Luffy definitely knows how to make an entrance. I let out a sigh, letting go of Robin's waist and lowering my hand to hoist the black haired idiot back onto his feet. Makino and Ace race in just behind him, both panting heavily.

"Bachina, Yasopp, I'm so sorry we're late," Makino says, rushing over to the two parents and engulfing them in a hug. It's greatly received.

"We would have been quicker but the roads were murder," Ace explained, rubbing Chopper's light brown hair with a hand as he passes by. "How is he?" Bachina opened her mouth to speak but Kureha spoke on her behalf.

"We don't know. They've been doing tests, trying to see what's wrong. They're not sure though, some kind of poisoning we think. His whole systems gone haywire." Ace's face falls at the explanation.

"He's…he's alive though right?"

"He should," Kureha responds. The mere reminder of their son being alive causes Yasopp and Bachina to hold Makino tighter. "His condition is…stable is the wrong term but he should be fine. There's just something up, a bug in his system, something like that. We'll need to wait to hear from the actual doctor though before I can say anything concrete about his condition." Ace musters a rigid nod in reply.

"Oh…well…good…I think…hope." He lamely turns to Yasopp and Bachina. "Sorry."

"It's okay Ace," Yasopp assures him. "Take a seat." Ace does. Makino does as well, on Yasopp's other side. The only people still standing now are Kureha, Usopp's uncle and…hello, what have we here? All eyes suddenly turn to the couple standing at the other end of the seats.

Somehow, in all the chaos of their arrival, we missed the moment where Nami stood up and presumably threw her arms around Luffy's neck before proceeding to cry in the most unattractive manner possible. Judging by her sobbing and sniffing, Luffy's shirt is probably covered in wet tearful snot right now. He doesn't seem to mind at least and instead, pulls her close and starts rubbing her back gently.

"Shh," he whispers. "It's okay Nami, it's okay. Usopp's gonna be okay." Great, now he looks just about ready to cry now too. Damn it, I better not start sniffing now. I fucking hate crying. Usopp wouldn't want us crying on his account. Luffy stops and seems to notice us all looking to the two of them. In a rare show from him, he starts blushing, his cheeks glowing a deep pink.

"W-what? Something on my face?" Yeah, Nami. At least, she seems to consider it for a moment before he turns back to her and she hides her face in his chest again. I let out a sigh.

"Are we sure they're not together yet?" I mutter to Robin. She elbows me and demands I shush. If that isn't love, I don't know what is. I open my mouth to complain, but the door to the medical ward opening stops my mouth from flapping. Standing in the doorway is a man with a long curved moustache and a spiked beard in a doctor's coat. He looks to us and nods.

"The Mendax's I presume?" Yasopp and Bachina nod.

"How is Usopp, Doctor?"

"Please, call me Nako." The doctor replies, before plunging on into the explanations. "And I have good news. His condition appears to have stabilised. His life's in no danger." We all share of sigh of relief. Nami takes her chance to leave Luffy's shirt and quickly wipes her tears. Her mascara has run everywhere but she quickly wipes it off with some tissues in her pocket. "The only bad news," Doctor Nako continues "is that we have no idea what the problem is. We're not currently aware why Usopp collapsed and we have no idea when he'll make a full recovery. All I can suggest for now is that you let him rest."

"Can we see him?" Bachina asked. Nako nodded.

"Only immediate family." He glanced to us. "I'm sorry but you all may have to wait until his condition is more certain." Luffy and I open our mouths to argue but Robin quietens us both with a simple tap on the shoulder.

"We understand Doctor Nako." Nako nods, mumbling some small apology before vanishing back through the doors with Yassop and Bachina close on his heels. Usopp's uncle hangs back for a moment and then follows the group, his back hunched and his eyes unfocused. As for the rest of us, we are left standing in the hallway, separated from Usopp and now from his parents.

"I hope he's doing okay," Makino mumbles aloud.

"He will be," Luffy replies. "He's Usopp. He's a real strong guy, stronger than we give him credit for." Even so, Luffy's face doesn't seem totally convinced.

"Guess we just have to wait things out," Ace comments from his seat. "Yasopp and Bachina should be able to give us a full run down when they get back from seeing him. He seems like he's okay in any case."

"I'd still rather stay and see if he's okay for myself before leaving," Nami adds to the conversation, still cleaning up her face of tears and stained eyeliner. That girl puts too much effort into looking pretty and saving face.

"Then we better park ourselves down," I say, glancing to the group. "I'm not sure how long we're going to be here for."

"In which case, I'm going to go and get myself some coffee," Robin announces. She turns and starts to make her way over towards the door. I manage to cut her off before she leaves.

"No, you're tired. You stayed up all last night. You need your sleep…like some other people." I glance to Nami, who is already settling down against a chair. Luffy decides to sit down next to her, blissfully unaware that the orange haired girl keeps glancing at him on occasion. Man, the girl has got it bad for the idiot and he doesn't even know it.

When he looks to her with his great beaming grin, he doesn't even notice how his own cheeks flare red. Nami gives him a tiny smile in return and then looks elsewhere. "I'll go get you some coffee. There's a Starbucks around the corner, I'll grab you some from there." Robin's nose scrunches up. "Or I could just find some small independent coffee bar if that would make you happy?"

"Starbucks will be fine Zoro," Robin says with a sigh. She kisses me on the cheek. "Thanks. Don't take too long."

"I won't."

"And don't get lost." My cheeks burst bright red and I start walking, muttering under my breath about stupid woman and her stupid way of getting under my skin. As I walk out of the hospital ward, I can hear a confused shout from Ace.

"Wait…you and Zoro…how long has that been a thing?"

* * *

Feeding Robin's coffee addiction is expensive. I have to empty my whole wallet just to get her regular order: a large peppermint latte…it was peppermint she liked wasn't it? I hope it bloody was. Cost me five freaking beri. I've not got enough cash to keep springing out for her like this. Don't get me wrong, I love her but I'm not a millionaire. I've got money troubles as it is and that's without considering her own money troubles. I sigh as I emerge into the cold again, the heat of the coffee in my grasp the only thing keeping me warm.

Robin's always had troubles with money. Her mother died when she was little and since then, she was looked after by a family friend: a police officer named Jaguar D. Saul. Unfortunately, about two years ago, Saul died as well, leaving Robin to fend for herself. Woop Slap lets her keep the old apartment at a discounted price but Robin still has to take a lot of jobs on the side to make ends meet. Today, she's had to book off time from bussing tables to check if Usopp's okay. She was allowed to take the time off but she's not going to get any money coming in, which she sorely needs. If it's not one thing, it always seems to be something else.

Cutting through an alley at the side of the hospital, I give a groan of annoyance. She'll get by. At least, that's what she'll always say but if I can help her in any way, then I will without question. I just wish I knew how to help. I've never been very good with employment. No prior experience, no acquaintances who have a foot in the door to get me in either. The closest I get to having a little cash on the side is helping out at my Uncle Mihawk's dojo for his night-time kendo classes. Apart from that, the only ever form of income I've ever had was…

"Well, what do you know, it's a small world after all?" My whole body tenses. I know that voice. I know it all too well. I twirl around and glare at the figure behind me. She smirks at me, her purple lips curl into a smile. She's definitely looking smarter than the last time I've seen her.

No white shirt, hot pants are gone and it's all been replaced by this weird fluffy Victorian thing. In her arm, right at her breast (shit, someone's been padding those out), is her trademark teddy bear. I don't need this shit right now. Not again.

"Long time no see, Roronoa Zoro."

"Perona," I growl. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, so harsh Zoro. It's been too long my dear," Perona mumbles, sauntering towards me, her hips swaying from side to side like a drunk ragdoll. "Three years since we last spoke right?"

"Four. And let's keep it that way," I counter, starting to walk again. To my irritation, Perona trots along behind me.

"What? No 'hellos'? No 'how do you do's?' You really know how to show a girl a good time." I clench my fists and keep walking, increasing my speed into a power walk. If I ignored her, she'd disappear. Perona manages to cut me off before the end of the street though. "Hey, don't just ignore me like that. Really Zoro, your manners haven't changed, have they?"

"What do you want?" I spit with venom. Perona doesn't look at all disheartened.

"Well, I just spotted an old friend across the street and thought I'd come to check on how he was doing."

"Good. There, you can go now." I make to move once more but Perona holds me in place.

"Woah, woah, slow down there Zoro. What's the rush? Aren't you going to ask how I'm doing?"

"I don't care." Perona pouts.

"Wow, you're going to hurt my feelings Zoro. And after everything we've done together." The hairs on the back of my neck prickle as Perona places a hand on my cheek. I step away from it.

"That was a long time ago. I've changed since then."

"We've both changed," Perona replies with a smile. "Which is actually why I wanted to talk to you."

"So you've been looking for me?"

"Of course not. But, since I've happened to find you, I might as well bring this matter of mine to your attention." I knew it. I freaking knew this wasn't a coincidence. Perona is from a part of my life that I would really not like to revisit.

"I'm not interested."

"You might be."

"I'm not."

"How do you know if you've not heard it yet?"

"Perona, get out of my way or I will…"

"You'll what? Make me?" Perona steps forwards, her fancy hat shoved in my face as she flicks her face up to look at me. "Go on then, I'd like to see you try. Then I'll scream, call a few words, I'm thinking 'rape' would have the best effect in this current situation, make a scene, you get spotted by the police, let's face it, broad strong thug looking guy like you, they'll take you in and you spend another night in a police cell. I wonder how they'll take to you coming back. There's plenty of people on the inside who would be thrilled to see you again. I hear Saga's got a bone or two to pick with-"

"I get it!" I shout back with a growl. Damn it. Perona's always been like this. Manipulative, underhanded, clever. It's why she's so good at her job…if you can call it that. I let out a sigh, massaging my brow.

"Two minutes of your time," Perona announces, lifting two fingers close to my face. "Two minutes and I give you my offer. If you're not up for it, that's fine, I can find other people. I was just wanting to throw an old associate a bone." I growl.

"Two minutes." She smiles.

"As I was saying, things have changed since we were young Zoro. You went straight and I? I went pro." I chuckle.

"Pro? Really?"

"Yeah, really." She's not joking. "I'm in the big leagues now Zoro…or at least, I'm getting there. One step at a time."

"You are looking pretty high maintenance for a drug dealer," I observe, studying her odd new attire. Perona laughs.

"Drug dealing? Please, Zoro. I'm not just dealing drugs anymore," she says with a grin. "Drugs are small fry compared to what I'm dealing in now. There's a whole new field out there looking to be exploited.

"And that field is?"

"Super-powers."

"Perona, I thought rule number one of dealing was that you didn't use your own merchandise."

"I'm two years clean," Perona snaps back, before swallowing her anger once more. "I'm not joking about this. Ever since that rubber freak moved into town, there's been whole new areas of research opening up. Back-alley transformations, super soldier serums brewed in a basement, they're just the start. We're entering a new age Zoro: a super powered arms race."

"You think that Scarlet Wind bastard is the only super knocking around out there? He's not going to be alone for long. You can hear it everywhere in the news, just little rumblings at first: some kid in Konoha survives getting hit by a bus, a guy in Karakura town complains that he can start seeing ghosts. All these little things at first. But then, new breaking news: teen bursts into fire in Magnolia, a child genius in Amestris starts experimenting in black magic."

"Magic? Seriously?"

"My point is," Perona continues regardless, "a new superhuman revolution is right around the corner and I and my employer wish to capitalise on it."

"Your employer?"

"He calls himself Mr Shadow. He's a broker in the underworld, very recent. New, up and coming but given time, he could become as big as Mr Zero or Joker."

"I severely doubt that," I respond. Perona lifts a finger to shush me.

"Two minutes you promised me. You're wasting about a third of it by talking over me." I sigh.

"Go on then, get to the point."

"The point is, my dear Zoro, I'm hitting the big leagues now. In fact, tomorrow night, I've got a deal going on. I'm selling some merchandise to a very up market client."

"And this matters to me…because?"

"Because I need your help."

"No."

"I've not even finished yet," Perona butts in. "I don't need you to deal, I don't need you to do anything. I just need you to play the bodyguard for a night, be some muscle in case things go wrong."

"Which they will," I retort. Perona ignores me and places a hand on my shoulder.

"All I need is you there showing a big of muscle. Do a good job and you might get some serious cash." Oh come on, like I haven't heard that before. I'm not some hired thug anymore. That was another life, before Luffy and everyone else.

"I don't care," I growl, shouldering past Perona. She seems to let me pass this time, though I see a smile slip to her lips.

"Twenty thousand beri." I stop in my tracks.

"What?"

"You heard me Zoro, twenty thousand beri. That's how much you get paid when this deal is done. We meet up, we take the merchandise to a small arms deal, trade and then you get paid the cash later." My eyes open wide. My mouth hangs open, limply flapping.

"Tw-twenty thousand beri?"

"Maybe more if we can haggle the price up," Perona continues. "Just for one simple deal, that's all and all you have to do is stand there and look strong, intimidate the competition. I'll even give you five thousand beri at the start as a down payment, a sign of confidence that things won't go wrong." I'm left blinking.

"I…I…Perona, I don't do that-"

"I'm not asking you to decide about it now. This probably needs a lot of thought," Perona concludes, passing me as she gently strokes my face. I'm too shocked at the sheer amount of money to move away. My mind is still racing. That much money! For one job! I allow Perona to slip a card into my pocket, presumably a business card with her number on. "Come on Zoro, remember the good old days? All the fun we had together?" Her hand goes low, caressing my lower thigh. I finally snap out of my mood and grab her hand, pulling it away from my leg.

"I'll call you if I change my mind," I growl, pushing her away as I start walking. Perona watches me go, that usual smirk on her face.

"We'll be in touch Zoro. Just remember my offer." I do. But right now, Robin needs her coffee and Perona's touch has left me feeling dirty. Twenty thousand beri though. Definitely tempting.

* * *

_**3**__**rd**__** Person P.O.V**_

The ear-phone clicked on. It was hands free so that the Director could keep working on his paperwork despite any incoming calls.

"Yes?" It didn't matter who was on the other side. He knew exactly who they were talking to and what they'd be talking about.

"Er…Mr Joker sir, there have been some complications regarding the S.M.I.L.E project sir." The pen the Director was writing with snapped in his grasp. He tossed the shards of the pen to his side. The ink splattered into the bin. Some was still on his fingers.

"…Define…complications."

"Well, sir, I collected the Pop Green samples as you requested for the experimentation process and overall, the samples remain mostly complete…" The Director lowered his finger, tapping the last remaining bits of ink on his finger onto the table.

"Mostly?"

"I apologise sir but I was staying in town with my family and…well, my nephew got a hold of some of the samples." The Director's eyebrow rose.

"Your nephew you say?"

"Yes sir, I am so sorry. He stole a small sample from all of the other samples, about two and a half ounces altogether. From there, he messed around with it, put on the bunsen burner and turned it into gaseous form." The Director twitched. His fingers were now ink clean.

"And he breathed in the gas?"

"Yes sir. He's currently in hospital." The Director smiled.

"Interesting."

"I am so sorry sir. I know this is an extreme breach of security and…" The caller paused. "Come again."

"I said it was interesting," the Director repeated, wiping his hands on a nearby hand towel. "We've not started proper testing with Pop Green yet. We should keep an eye and see how this situation develops."

"S-sir, y-you're not angry?"

"Far from it Heracles," the Director continued. "It'll be most interesting to see what comes of all this. We may get some conclusive results regarding the Pop Green research."

"…Sir…my nephew could die…"

"Yes, those results would be fairly conclusive. Do keep an eye out for your nephew. I want to know exactly what occurs, I will be monitoring him quite closely myself if possible. When it comes time to pay his hospital bills, let me know and I shall provide the funding for this research." The voice on the phone began to fade out.

"Yes sir."

"Keep me posted Heracles. I'd rather not have to chase this up myself. If I personally get involved, then-"

"I know," Heracles interrupted. "I'll keep you posted sir."

"Good to know."

"Until next time," the Director announced. The ear-phone clicked off. The Director let out a small chuckle. "Well, this is unexpected."

"What's unexpected?" Donflamingo looked up from his work and smiled.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," the blonde teased. "How was your day?"

"Not started yet," the black haired teen called back from across the room. "I just came to let you know I'm going out."

"Where?"

"Out?"

"Out where?" Donflamingo asked, lowering his sunglasses to look at the boy opposite him.

"It's my volunteer shift at the hospital. Thought it'd be better to let you know where I was instead of sending someone to follow me again."

"I have no idea what you mean my boy," Donflamingo said, his smile never faltering. The black haired teen let out a single chuckle.

"Sure you don't. Anyway, I'm on my way out."

"Don't wear yourself out. Remember, tomorrow you've got your meeting with Shiki. You're going have to be on your best form if you want to get the job."

"I'll be fine," the teen replied, turning towards the door. Donflamingo laughed once more.

"Seems you're moving up in the world Law. Go and have fun, enjoy yourself, make some friends" Trafalgar Law turned and cast his master a smile.

"I doubt I'm going to make any friends out there today."

* * *

_**To be Continued in Chapter 5: Translation Plane Act 2**_

_Until then I'm Shadowonthewall6 and I hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter._

_**Please review. Positive criticism is welcome.**_


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